It’s crunch time for Arizona high school golf teams, as state tournaments approach. Here are details and this week’s team rankings.
Tournament Information
The two-day boys Division II state tournament tees off on Wednesday, Oct. 30, followed by Division I a week later on Nov. 6. Both tournaments will be held at Aguila Golf Course in Laveen Village. Admission is $15 for a day pass, and children 5 years old and under are free.
Qualification
Twelve teams and 18 individuals will qualify for the state tournament, for a total of 78 players, according to the Arizona Interscholastic Association. Qualifying teams must have competed in a minimum of seven rounds. Each team’s best seven rounds will be used for qualification purposes. The Top 12 ranked teams regardless of section finish will qualify automatically for the state tournament. Automatic qualifiers will be determined by the team’s iWanamaker (iWr) rankings, which use a formula that includes team scores and several other factors.
For individuals to qualify, they must also have competed in a minimum of seven rounds, with the player’s best accounted for qualification. The Top 8 individuals not on a qualifying team — based on their individual iWr after the regular season — will advance to the state tournament.
Here is a look at the updated Top 10 teams as of Oct. 22, based on iWanamaker rankings. Team rankings are determined by player scores during 9-hole stroke play events and include D-I and D-II teams.
1. Catalina Foothills
The D-II Falcons from Tucson continue to top the state rankings. Junior Chase Cesarek is iWanamaker’s No. 5 ranked golfer in the state.
2. Brophy
The 2023 Division I runner-up comes in at No. 2 in this week’s rankings. In last year’s state tournament, the Broncos fell by seven strokes to Hamilton behind a loaded roster. Brophy graduated two of their top golfers last year but will rely on a squad led by Dylan Boenning, who is ranked No. 6 in the state by iWanamaker.
3. Notre Dame Prep
Last year’s Division II individual champion Landon Ashcraft leads the way for the Saints, with junior Xander Mulder just behind him ranked No. 4. Ashcraft was ranked No. 9 nationally by the PGA National High School Golf Association for the fall 2023 season and will hope to lead Notre Dame to a first place finish this year.
4. Chaparral
The Firebirds are the third Division II school within the Top 4 teams. As a Division I school in last year’s fall season, they placed third in the state tournament. Hudson Ross is the catalyst for Chaparral as the No. 7 golfer in Arizona, according to this week’s iWanamaker’s rankings.
5. Casteel
The Colts placed sixth overall in the Division I state tournament last year, and Austin Bullard finished third individually. But with Bullard graduated, Casteel will look to senior Cade Sherwood.
6. Hamilton
The defending Division I state champions fall in at No. 6 in this week’s rankings, a spot up from last time. With the loss of the No. 1 ranked golfer in the state last year, Vincent Cervantes, the Huskies may not be as dominant as the 2023 season, but Joseph Nelson is iWanamaker’s No. 8 golfer in Arizona.
7. Horizon
The fourth Division I team in the Top 10. They switched positions with Hamilton since our last update. The duo of seniors Brennan Korn and Nick Schaffer will attempt to push the Huskies through an underdog run in the two-day tournament.
8. Desert Mountain
The Wolves finished fifth in the 2023 Division II state tournament. Trey Moore shot just three strokes more than Ashcraft individually and led the team to its Top-5 finish. Up one spot from our last update, the Wolves, led by No. 10 ranked Connor Bringhurst, will hope to pick up where Moore left off.
9. ALA Gilbert North
The Eagles switched places with Desert Mountain in this week’s rankings. Junior Jake Goyen is iWanamaker’s No. 2 ranked golfer in Arizona and will no doubt be chasing that individual title while leading the Eagles in this year’s Division II tournament.
10. Corona del Sol
The Aztecs placed fourth in the Division I state tournament last year. They’re hoping to carry that momentum into the tournament in a couple of weeks behind No. 12-ranked Hogan O’Malley.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Top 10 Arizona high school golf teams
