Bell County senior Andrew Caldwell picked up where he left off last season by winning a season-opening match Monday at the Wasioto Winds course in Pineville, shooting a one-over par 37 as he led the Bobcats to the team title. Bell County finished with a score of 168, four strokes ahead of Jackson County. Whitley County and Harlan County didn’t have enough players in the match to compete as a team.
“Andrew Caldwell was the medalist tonight. He is one of a handful of players who have to be among the regional favorites. He’s as talented as anybody who has come through the 10th Region in a long time,” Harlan County coach Greg Lewis said.
Whitley County’s R.J. Adams was second in the individual competition with a 39, two strokes behind Caldwell. Bell’s Hayden Clark and Jackson County’s Carson Miller tied for third with a 41. Bell’s Bub Treece shot a 44, along with Jackson County’s Xander Terry and Tydus Summers. Harlan County’s Matt Lewis and Brayden Casolari tied with Bell’s William Miracle with a 46.
“We struggled a bit tonight in tough conditions. The course was wet and played pretty tough,” Lewis said. :Matt played much better than his score showed. He putted the ball exceptionally well, he drove the ball very well and struck the ball well. He’s currently going through a swing change, switching from a fade to a draw, and he had a couple balls that were over drawn and ended up costing him. Take those swings away and he’s in the top three. Of course, it probably wasn’t the smartest move having an orthodontist appointment on the day of his first match either. Brayden played very well at times and struggled at times, which can be expected in your first high school match. The rain made the course play long, which made a few holes tough for him. He really impressed me with some short pitches he played. Those shots are not normally something you expect to see from someone that young. As he gains experience and figures out how to play some of these holes, he’s going to be a force out here.”