From staff reports

On a tough day for golfers, St. Aloysius had an easy time.

John Lindigrin shot a 79, one of only two scores posted under 80 the entire day, and the Flashes won their second consecutive Class 1A golf championship Friday at Bay Pointe Country Club in Brandon. St. Al started the day leading by 20 strokes after Thursday’s nine-hole first round, and ended up winning by 50. St. Al had a team total of 512, while Thrasher was second with 562 and Cathedral was third with 578.

“We didn’t play as well as I thought we could. Undoubtedly, it wasn’t a good day because nobody else played good, either,” St. Al coach Jim Taylor said. “We had different kids today that scored well, so it was a team effort. I’m mighty proud of them.”

Lindigrin’s 79 on Friday and his two-day total of 121 was good for second place in the individual competition. He was one of three Flashes to finish in the top four, along with Alex Lanier and Charles Marsalis. Lanier shot a 126 for the tournament, and Marsalis carded a 128. Calhoun City’s Will Black took medalist honors with a 76 on Friday and a 113 for the tournament.

Taylor said the Bay Pointe layout, full of hazards and doglegs, didn’t lend itself to low scores. Because of that, he wasn’t sure the big lead heading into day two was safe.

“My kids didn’t even have a driver in the bag. It’s a finesse course, and you can get in trouble in a hurry,” Taylor said. “Twenty strokes, if you have two or three guys play bad and two or three play good on the other side, 20 strokes is not much.”

After winning two state titles in a row, Taylor was also optimistic about the Flashes’ chances for a third. Of the five golfers who competed at the state tournament, only John Reid Golding is a senior. Golding was one of the Flashes’ top players all season long, but struggled to a 98 on Friday after entering the day in fifth place overall. Lindigrin, Marsalis and Lanier, along with Chris Ingram, will all be back next year.

“Last year sort of opened their eyes that they could win,” Taylor said. “I think we have a great chance to win next year if we keep improving some.”