Mitchell ties for third at golf regional

Tyler Mitchell put together a consistent round of golf that would have been good enough to win the region meet in past years.  However, it wasn't quite enough to earn the Trigg County senior a berth in the state meet.

Mitchell tied for third place after shooting an even-par 70 at the Region I Golf Tournament Tuesday at the Mayfield Country Club.  Mitchell was in a group of four players vying for the final qualifying spot in next week's state tournament in Bowling Green, but lost on the third playoff hole.

His round consisted of a birdie on #1, a bogey on #3, and 16 pars, which was three shots behind the winner and five shots better than St. Mary's Case Cochran, the two-time defending state champion who was playing in his group.

The golfers had to endure a day of rain that even halted the match at one point.  None of that rain found its way to Trigg County.

The top two teams qualified golfers for the state meet, but the two golfers ahead of Mitchell weren't on those teams which left him on the outside looking in.  That is an obvious rule that needs to be changed and allow the top five golfers not on the top two teams into the state meet.

While the finish at the region meet is a disapointment for Tyler, the past few weeks have been busy and fulfilling.

Tyler has committed to play golf at the University of Charlotte, according to Tyler's father Butch Mitchell.  Memphis and Kentucky were two other schools hot on the trail of the Trigg golfer before Tyler settled on Charlotte recently.

Charlotte is the number one team in Division I college golf after a pair of victories in their first two events of the 2007-08 season.  It's the first time a 49er sports program has been ranked number one in the nation.

Mitchell becomes the second Trigg County boys' golfer to play at the college level in recent years, joining former Wildcat teammate Bradley Sutherland, who is at Transylvania.