RRS NOTES: Former AISA golf stars shine in NCAA championship; North-South soccer teams announced

COMBINED REPORTS

Former Lee-Scott Academy teammates Davis Thompson and Turk Pettit reunited at the NCAA Championships at Grayhawk Golf Club on Monday as the pair finished among the top 20 nationally in their final collegiate action.

Pettit, a senior at Clemson, won the individual NCAA Championship on Monday while Thompson, the Southeastern Conference Golfer of the Year and a senior at Georgia, finished 17th.

Both were coached by Thompson’s father Todd at Lee-Scott Academy.

Pettit got up-and-down for par from 25 yards off the ninth green, his final hole of the day, then Oklahoma State golfer Bo Jin failed to make par on the 18th hole, his final hole, just 15 minutes later, giving Pettit the individual championship. Pettit finished with rounds of 68-67-68-70 for a 72-hole score of seven-under-par 273. It was just the second win of Pettit’s Clemson career and his first since winning the Irish Creek Invitational in Kannapolis, NC on April 8, 2018, his freshman year. The Clemson graduate finished his final season with seven top 10 finishes in his eight tournaments.

“I never knew I had the lead or was tied for the lead until I finished,” Pettit said. “I am the type of player who doesn’t want to know. Coach (Larry) Penley was with me the last nine holes and he never told me. When you look at scoreboards you start thinking about winning and it takes your mind off the present. That’s the way I look at it.”

It was quite a comeback story for Pettit, who had his golf clubs stolen the week before the NCAA National Tournament his freshman year. A freshman All-American off his regular season, Pettit played so poorly at the 2018 national tournament that Penley pulled him from the Clemson lineup for his own benefit and confidence after eight holes in his second round of the tournament.

Thompson logged a 2-under 68, competing as an individual after the Bulldogs were unable to advance in the tournament’s first cut on Sunday. He concluded his Georgia career at 3-over 283 and in 17th individually. Thompson finished the year with two victories, six top-10s, and nine top-20s in 10 tournaments.

Thompson finished second in the final PGA Tour University rankings and earned Korn Ferry Tour membership. He will be exempt into all open, full-field events beginning with the BMW Charity Pro-Am June 10-13. Thompson also holds a sponsor exemption for the PGA Tour's Rocket Mortgage Classic July 1-4.

Thompson, who is majoring in sports management, was nominated for the Boyd McWhorter Award as the conference’s top scholar-athlete. He was ranked No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf rankings in March.

North South Soccer teams announced

The River Region was well represented on the Alabama All-Star Sports Week soccer teams, recently announced by the AHSAA and AHSADCA.

The South girls team includes Haley Brightwell of St. James; Kate Green of Prattville; Tori Meldrum of Pike Road; Virginia Meacham of Montgomery Academy; Mary Alice Sasser and Katherine Warren of Trinity.

The boys’ team includes Will Beringer and Alex Kohn of Montgomery Academy; Josh Hixon of Trinity; Samuel Rogers of Montgomery Catholic.

The North-South games are scheduled for July 21 at the Emory Folmar YMCA Soccer Complex.