Griffin 2nd in the state!

So proud of my brother once again! 2nd in the whole state of TN and got the chance to talk to the Vandy golf coach b/c of it. Go Griffin go :)

Here is the write up that was done for the newspaper:

Griffin finishes 2^nd in State High School Golf Tournament

Roane County resident and Oak Ridge High School Junior Mason Griffin finished in 2^nd place individually in the Division 1 – AAA State High School Golf Tournament at Old Fort Golf Course in Murfreesboro, TN. The first round of the tournament was played in high winds and heavy rains as the middle Tennessee area experienced rain for the first time in 32 days. The tournament field consisted of 8 high school region championship teams composed of 5 players each and the top 4 individual players from each of the 8 regions. Griffin qualified for the State Tournament by finishing 2^nd place in the Region 2 Tournament on September 29 in Knoxville.

The State High School tournament, 72 player field, teed off at 9:00 am central time on Tuesday October 7^th, just as the wind and rain began to move into the area. Griffin began his round with a bogie on the first hole as the high winds whipped dust from an adjacent gravel parking lot across the first fairway resembling a rolling fog. Griffin managed a birdie on the second hole, a par five, as the heavy rains and winds sent players, coaches, parents, and friends scurrying to open umbrellas or to find shelter. His front nine score ended at 37, 1 over par, consisting of 3 bogies and 2 birdies.

Rain continued as Griffin teed off number 10 to start the back nine. A short birdie miss on number 10 was followed by consecutive birdies on holes 11 & 12. A fifteen foot birdie try for three birdies in a row on hole number 13, hit the lip of the cup and spun backwards. Pars at holes number 14 & 15 left Griffin standing at 1 under par for the day thru 15 holes. The rain seemed to pick up once again as his group teed off on number 16, a par 4 hole with what use to be a lateral water hazard on the right side of the fairway. Use to be meaning the dry summer months had turned the area into a moon crater or a pond with no water. His drive on hole number 16 came to rest on the downhill slope, just inside the hazard area, some 170 yards away. Griffin slashed the ball from the downhill lie onto the 16^th green some 45 feet from the pin. His next putt seemed to be a slow motion highlight clip from the golf channel as it rolled across the green, through the rain, down the final 15 feet to the cup as the ball appeared to be gaining speed on the green it hit the back of the cup and dropped in. Griffin finally showed his first sign of emotion after he gave his mini Tiger like fist pump as he celebrated his 5^th birdie of the day. Griffin proceed to par the par 3 number 17 and teed off on number 18 before play was suspended because of heavy rain and lightning in the area.

Some 50 minutes later, the 72 player field headed back out to the course to finish play for day 1 of the scheduled 2 day state tournament. Griffin took several practice swings before he would attempt to finish the final hole of the day. His 5-iron approach shot to number 18 green faded just to the right of the hole, hit the slope of the elevated green and kicked some 20 yards from the hole. Griffin’s next shot once again resembled a clip from the golf channel as his chip shop went high into the air, landed some 4 feet from the hole, and then rolled into the cup for a birdie. The small gallery of parents, players, and coaches, standing behind the 18^th green, cheered as they watched Griffin’s final shot of the rain soaked day go into the cup. His 6^th birdie of the day included a back nine score of 4 under par 32, which left him standing at 3 under par with a final score of 69.

Heavy rains continued over night and into the next morning as the 72 player field gathered again for round 2 of the tournament. TSSAA officials called a 1 hour delay, a second 1 hour delay, and finally cancelled day 2 of the tournament because of the rain soaked course. Oak Ridge High School’s Mason Griffin finished the tournament in second place, just behind Cory Gaylord of Houston High School’s 4 under par 68.