Staff report

LEXINGTON — East Rowan’s boys golf team fell a little short of the team goal of qualifying for the state tournament on Tuesday.

The top three teams in the 3A Midwest Regional at Sapona advanced to the state event. The Mustangs placed fourth, five shots behind third-place Northwest Cabarrus.

Team scores (top four scorers) were Oak Grove (302), Lake Norman Charter (310) and Northwest Cabarrus (318). East shot 323.

West Rowan was ninth at 354.

East’s Landon Merrell (75) and Jaden Sprinkle (77) did qualify for the state event as individuals, along with West Rowan’s Tyler Kepley (78).

East’s other two scorers were Brady McIntyre (82) and Gavin Walker (89).

“Gavin did his job, broke 90 in his first regional,” East coach Tinsley Merrell said. “I owe him a steak.”

Northwest had two of the top individuals in Talan Harrison (72), who tied for first, and Cooper Burris, who tied for third at 73.

Lake Norman Charter’s Joseph Royster shot 72.

Merrell tied for seventh. He got off to a super start with an eagle and birdied his final hole.

In between, a cold putter kept him from challenging for the regional championship.

“He hit the greens, but he had too many three-putts,” Coach Merrell said.

Sprinkle tied for 11th on a roller-coaster day. His flurry of a half-dozen birdies were off-set by struggles on three holes.

McIntyre started off very well, but didn’t finish as smoothly as he had hoped.

Kepley finished 13th. The top nine players not on the three qualifying teams made the state as individuals.

The 36-hole 3A state event will be held next Monday and Tuesday at Longleaf in Southern Pines.