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LaGrange High is set to host the Area golf tournaments for the second straight season. The girls will tee off early Thursday morning at The Fields while the boys will be taking over Highlands Country Club.

“We are excited to showcase these two courses again this year,” said Ben Thrasher, the head of the LaGrange High golf program. “Both of these courses are phenomenal hosts for us.”

The top three finishers on Thursday will all qualify for the state tournament. Both the girls and boys teams qualified for state last season and the expectation is the same for this season.

The boys finished Area runner-up last season, narrowly finishing behind Starr’s Mill. The Grangers are looking to claim the Area title and not just one of the top 3 spots.

“Anytime we’re playing, I want to win. That’s just the competitive nature that I have,” Thrasher said. “If the guys come ready to play and come in with the right mindset I believe we will get the job done, but golf is a lot different than other sports. You can’t affect your opponent like in football or tennis. It’s just you and the course, so we have to take care of what we can take care of.”

The girls are in a rebuilding state, but the expectations are to still qualify for state. The Grangers have enough talent and proven ability to earn one of those top 3 spots.

“For the girls, we’re still in the developmental stages, where we’re hopefully on the back end of that where we’re looking at really competing for some championships and winning tournaments soon,” Thrasher said. 

Qualifying for state is always important for both programs, but this year has a special significance. The Fields will be hosting the 4A state girls tournament while Highlands will be hosting the boys 4A state tournament. To get a chance to play in the state tournament on their home course will be a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the Grangers.

“Every year for the state tournament, you basically bid, or you put your name in the hat to host the state tournament if you’re interested in doing so,” Thrasher said. “I’ve never attempted to host before, but I was very interested in hosting this year, knowing that we had two seniors that were going to be seasoned veterans for us, as well as a good core of returning players. I wanted to host it and give our seniors a chance to play on their home course.” 

The girls tournament is set to tee off at 9 a.m. with the Grangers taking the course at 1015. The  Grangers hitting the course for the girls are Caroline Brown, Carlee Roland, Hudson Wood, Katie Hale and Sydnee Jennings.

The boys tournament is set to tee off at 10 a.m. LaGrange will take the course at 11. The Grangers will field a lineup consisting of Saxon Chastain, Ben Woodham, Ty Ormsby, Hugh Kersey, Grady Westmoreland and Charlie Pitts.