Owen sophomore finishes 28th in NCHSAA 2A Golf State Championship

Carson Murphy posts back-to-back 78s at Stonebridge Golf Club

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
May 16, 2024

Owen sophomore Carson Murphy finished 28th of 94 golfers, May 14, in the 2024 NCHSAA 2A Men’s Golf Championship match at Stonebridge Golf Club in Monroe. Photo courtesy of Owen Golf

While heavy rain, soggy conditions and a challenging unfamiliar course at Stonebridge Golf Club, May 13 and 14, could prove a disruptive recipe for even the most seasoned golfers, Owen’s Carson Murphy found ways to do things well.

Making his NCHSAA Men’s Golf Championship debut, the sophomore emerged from the two-day tournament with a score of 156, finishing 28th among the pool of 94 golfers and claiming the best Warhorse finish in 24 years.

Murphy, who has earned consecutive selections on the Western Highlands Conference All-Tournament Team, qualified for the state match in a three-player elimination playoff at the West Regional competition in Tryon. He and head coach John Knight knew little about Stonebridge, which hosted the event for the first time this year.

“Neither of us had seen it before, and it had rained three or four inches before we got there,” said Knight, who has coached the Owen golf team for 28 years. “The day we played the practice round there was standing water in the fairways.”

The field played through rain much of the second day, according to the coach, as Murphy shot a 78, two strokes above his season average.

“He played really well,” Knight said. “He putted really well that first day, but the rain on day two changed that.”

Murphy adapted his hitting to accommodate the weather and avoid the course’s 14 water hazards.

“He hit the ball much better during the second day, and the 78 he shot then was even more impressive, considering the weather conditions,” Knight said. “I was really proud of Carson."

His finish was Owen’s highest since 2000, the coach said.

“We’re expecting big things out of Carson in the future,” Knight said. “The fact that he could go into the state championship, deal with the weather on a tough course and finish 28 in a field of 94, is impressive. And we’ve still got him for two more seasons.”