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Chattanooga: Snipes, Thornton chasing Milner

By: David Uchiyama
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Grant Milner
Ryan Thornton
Morgan McQuary

McCallie senior Will Snipes came within inches of scoring a hole-in-one Monday during the Baylor Preview high school golf tournament.

His tee shot on No. 7 at Black Creek Club hit the left side of the green and rolled down to the right on a line that made a handful of observers gasp before the ball shied away from the hole.

“I saw where it ended up, but I didn’t know if it hit the pin or not,” Snipes said. “I knew from the tee box that it would be pretty close. I was just aiming for the stairs, and you don’t expect a birdie there.

“I got some great breaks today.”

Snipes, who started on the back nine, tapped in for a birdie that put him at 6 under par for the day despite being 3 over after his first four holes.

“The first four holes I didn’t hit a fairway or a green, and finally on No. 14 I two-putted and I started hitting fairways and greens,” said the Rocky Face resident, who is undecided on a college. “Once I got past those holes, I played really well, and that’s what helped me go low.”

Snipes finished at 4-under 68 and is tied for second with Baylor senior Ryan Thornton.

“I made a lot of putts from 25-30 feet that I wasn’t supposed to make and missed a few I should have,” said Thornton, who did not make a bogey. “I felt like I was in a rhythm all day and pretty confident.”

Knoxville Webb senior Grant Milner made four birdies and an eagle to shoot 31 on the front nine, and he leads the two-day tournament filled with the top prep teams in the state after posting a 6-under 66.

“It seemed like I couldn’t miss because everything was all over the flag, and I even missed two six-footers for birdie,” said Milner, who committed to Memphis last week. “I rolled in a couple 15-footers, and that got things going.

“I made a 25-footer on No. 4 and really started to get a feel for the greens.”

Baylor leads both divisions. Its boys shot 286 and lead second-place McCallie by 11 and Farragut by 16. The Lady Red Raiders have a 21-shot lead over Jefferson County and a 36-shot lead over GPS.

Baylor senior Morgan McQuary was the only girl under par Monday. She shot 71 with an eagle on No. 14. Jefferson County sophomore Kendall Martindale is second at 72, and Webb’s Leigh Henderson is third after a 73.

“It was a pretty consistent day, and I gave myself chances for birdies quite a bit,” McQuary said. “I was hitting the ball really solid.”

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