Photo submitted Hayesville medalist Connor Pullum poses with the hardware after being named All-Smoky Mountain Conference.
By Gary Corsair
Sports Writer
Three out of four Hayesville Yellow Jackets played the best round of their golf career when it mattered most.
Junior Connor Pullum and sophomores Peyton Owens and Kile Cunningham all shot career bests in the two-day, 36-hole Smoky Mountain Conference tournament at Old Edwards Club in Highlands.
Pullum’s, 87-98, — 185 earned him all-conference honors, a sixth-place finish in a field of 34 golfers, and a berth in Monday’s Regional at Mountain Harbour Golf Club in Hayesville. This is the second consecutive year Pullum made the Regional field.
Pullum shot another good round in the Regional, but failed to qualify for the State Tournament.
Owens shot a 107 on day one of the SMC Tourney and followed it with a career-best 97 for a total of 204. He missed qualifying for the regional by one stroke.
Cunningham also carded his career best on the second day, a round of 106 that gave him a total of 227.
Sophomore Wyatt James shot a 125 and a 121.
The impressive efforts capped a successful season.
“Overall I am pleased with our golf season,” Coach Will Penland said. “At the beginning of the season one of our goals was to make it to the regional championship as a team. We came up short on that goal, but more importantly, we had guys that really improved all year long and have laid a very solid foundation for our team looking forward. We had no seniors on this team and only one junior, Connor Pullum, who was an all-conference player and an individual qualifier for the regional championship.”