ANDERSON — Lapel’s Corbyn Carroll may have had a little déjà vu on his way to earning medalist honors in the Madison County Golf Tournament.
Carroll, a senior, led his teammates to a repeat win in the tournament last played in 2019. He was medalist then, and on Saturday, Carroll had to win a sudden-death playoff just like he did as a sophomore in 2019.
After Lapel clinched the win with a 336, an 11-stroke lead over runnerup Pendleton Heights, four players who turned in an 80 on the Meadowbrook Golf Course in Anderson had to go head to head to determine medalist honors.
Story continues below photos.
Joining Carroll was teammate Corbin Renihan, Pendleton Heights’ Sam Denny and Anderson’s Landon Alumbaugh. Alumbaugh was eliminated on the first hole, and Renihan bowed out after two, leaving Carroll and Denny to vie for the title on the third and final hole.
Carroll parred the 16th hole for the win over Denny.
In 2019, Carroll also went through a three-hole playoff to secure the title.
Going into the playoff, Carroll said he wasn’t as nervous as he was in 2019.
“I felt like it was easier. I think maybe it was because I was a senior and not a sophomore like I was in 2019,” he said.
Coach Ryan Jackson said he saw some things he really wanted to see with his team.
“Corbyn and Corbin both had some holes that could have hurt their round, but they both bounced back today. Most importantly, that’s what I like to see.”
Jackson said the wins are nice, but overcoming adversity is something he really appreciates, especially with Carroll in the playoff.
“A lot of kids, if they would have missed that eagle putt, could have easily have folded and not made it to the second hole. To miss that putt and still come back and win is impressive,” Jackson said.
“There were a lot of putts I should have made,” Carroll said. “But overall, I think I played pretty well.”
Rounding out the Bulldogs’ winning team was Clayton Baker with an 87, Dalton Clark with an 89 and Jacob Erwin with a 98. Only the top four scores are counted. Baker and Clark shot their best 18-hole round so far this season.
Jackson said with freshmen and sophomores making up the balance of the team, there were some nerves coming into the tournament as the defending champion.
Clinching the title may have taken some of the pressure off Carroll and Renihan as they entered playoff territory.
“It was cool to see them put pressure on themselves and then overcome that pressure,” Jackson said.
For the Arabians, Cohen Gray had an 82, Luke Poynter had a 92, and Bryant Davis and Braden Webster both had 93s.
For Carroll, winning Madison County makes him optimistic about the rest of the season. “I think it’s a good way to go into sectionals. I feel like we can do it.”
