Led by Liam Minton, the Leon boys golf team posted its strongest team performance of the early season on Tuesday, Sept. 8, defeating Florida High and Maclay in a three-team varsity match at Seminole Legacy Golf Club.
Leon finished with a team score of 154 (+10) to take first place, while Florida High and Maclay tied for second at 161 (+17). The seven-stroke margin gave the Lions the win despite all three teams having golfers near the top of the individual leaderboard.
Leon
Leon controlled the top of the individual standings, placing three golfers among the first four finishers. Sophomore Liam Minton led the way for the Lions with an even-par 36, earning the individual victory. Minton was followed by junior Solomon Hardy, who finished second overall with a 37 (+1). Junior Aubrey Turner shot a 38 (+2) to tie for third place individually. Maclay junior Brody Mitchell also shot a 38 to share third with Turner. With three of Leon’s four scoring golfers finishing at 38 or better, the Lions built a seven-stroke advantage over Florida High and Maclay. Senior Hudson Gardner rounded out Leon’s four scoring rounds with a 43 (+7). Leon also received a 50 (+14) from senior Andrew Suber. Minton’s 36, Hardy’s 37 and Turner’s 38 combined for a three-player total of 111, giving Leon a strong foundation before Gardner’s 43 was added to the team score.
Liam Minton shot an even-par 36 to win the tournament, putting together a steady round with two birdies and two bogeys. Minton opened with three consecutive pars before recording his first birdie on the par-5 fourth hole. He added another birdie on the par-4 seventh and finished the front nine at even par, overcoming bogeys on the fifth and eighth holes. His consistent play was enough to secure the tournament victory.
Florida High
Florida High finished tied with Maclay at 161 (+17), with the Seminoles placing four golfers inside the top 10 individually. Junior Robbie Vos led Florida High with a 39 (+3), tying for fifth overall. Freshman Eli Shanks and sophomore Hunter Glantz followed with matching 40s (+4), tying for seventh. Sophomore Donovan Daniell completed Florida High’s four scoring rounds with a 42 (+6). The Seminoles’ four scoring golfers combined for a 161, matching Maclay’s team total.
Maclay
Maclay also finished at 161 (+17), with junior Brody Mitchell leading the Marauders individually. Mitchell shot a 38 (+2) to tie Turner’s 38 for third place overall. Junior Downing Jordan followed with a 39 (+3), tying Vos for fifth. Eighth-grader Brayden Swiney added a 41 (+5), while freshman Bradley Amos finished with a 43 (+7) to complete Maclay’s team score. Sophomore Hudson Hoyt also competed for the Marauders and shot a 44 (+8).
Individual Standouts
Minton’s even-par 36 was the only round in the field at par or better, with the Leon sophomore finishing one stroke ahead of Hardy. The top of the leaderboard remained tightly packed after the two Leon golfers, with Turner and Mitchell both at 38, followed by Vos and Jordan at 39. Shanks and Glantz were next at 40, while Swiney finished at 41. Overall, eight of the 14 golfers in the field finished at 40 or better, showing how closely the three Tallahassee programs competed throughout the round. The result gives Leon a strong team performance in the regular season, while Florida High and Maclay finished deadlocked for second after posting identical team scores.
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