The Kentucky high school golf postseason has been altered for the second time in sixth months after the KHSAA Board of Control faced heavy criticism in their first attempt at a new format.
Regional runners-up in the boys’ and girls’ team tournaments will no longer advance to the state championships, but the number of individual qualifiers has been increased to seven. The move allows the board to undo the decision that drew quick negative feedback in February.
In an effort to reduce the size of the state tournament field, the board originally voted to eliminate the fifth golfer from qualifying teams — a sudden move away from the “play-five-count-four” format widely used across the country both at the high school and collegiate level.
The plan was to get to 144 golfers in each field — previously the boys’ had 156 and the girls’ had 154. Now, the boys’ and girls’ are aligned exactly the same across 12 districts.
Under this new plan with the region champ sending five players as well as the next seven lowest individual scores now advancing, KHSAA was able to stay at that magic number of 144.
Local boys’ golf coaches Lars King and Bretnea Turner said while it’s still not a perfect system, the policy approved Wednesday is at least better than February’s decision.
“I think it is so important to allow students the opportunity to compete all season as a team and not eliminate teammates from the state competition” said Tuner, coach at Owensboro Catholic. “The worst possible thing you can do as a coach is make a kid feel like they don’t belong on their team. That was the (original) situation the KHSAA put coaches in statewide.”
Catholic finished as the Region 2 runner-up last year, but under the new format only Jakob Wellman — who won the region tournament as an individual — would have advanced for the Aces.
“I’m still not thrilled about the removal of the second-place team,” Turner said. “I know this is common in some sports, but golf was an exception. I believe the decision to allow seven individuals still removes some of the team-oriented aspect that is so hard to instill in golfers already.”
King, who coaches at Daviess County, doesn’t mind the elimination of the second-place team.
“In (most) every other sport, the team that wins the region goes to state,” he said. “In that facet it makes sense. I think it’s going to make it a stronger field overall. It holds true to the regular-season format of having only one winner in each touranment. You might give trophies for second and third, but only one team won.”
King — whose Panthers are the Region 2 defending champs — said the move also helps individuals from stronger regions earn spots that were previously taken by runner-up teams from weaker ones.
“I think the field will be stronger,” he said. “In years past, two teams from some of those regions, including our own, definitely did not deserve to be there over five or six individuals from some strong regions.”
Under the new format, all 12 teams will play both days of the state tournament with no cuts. The individual field’s cut line will be 42 and ties, up from 20 in years past.
Regardless of how they feel, buth Turner and King understand all they can do is compete and hope their players post low rounds.
“While this may limit our ability to compete at state some years, it might be something that drives my players even harder,” Turner said. “That is the approach I’ll take as a coach. We have fought for our players, the KHSAA responded and this is the situation we are dealt, so we will compete with all we have to make it to state.”
King said there may be a better solution out there, but there’s not one that can solve every concern.
“You’re not going to make everybody happy,” he said. “This makes me happier than the other one. Is it perfect? No. But nothing’s perfect. That’s what’s tough.”
