Rhett South lingered on the hill overlooking Pleasant Valley Country Club's 18th hole Thursday afternoon, watching the final threesome of girls complete their rounds.
The boys champion knew full well where things stood. Springdale Har-Ber's Grace Kilcrease did not.
So after Kilcrease made her last stroke of the day, settling the girls crown, South made sure he was the first to congratulate her.
"Bring it home for the NWA," he said.
It was a banner afternoon for Northwest Arkansas at the state Overall golf tournament in Little Rock, as South put together the low round of the event with a 1-over par 73 to bring the boys title back to Farmington in his final high school event. Kilcrease capped a run of three consecutive years as the girls overall champion, finishing at 2-over par 74 in her last 18 holes as a Lady Wildcat.
South hadn't reached the Overall since his freshman season, but there was extra motivation this time. Despite a four-man senior core, the Cardinals failed to qualify for the Class 4A state tournament, leaving South to represent Farmington as an individual.
"Winning my own individual state [championship] for 4A was a dream because I hadn't done it yet -- that was my goal for this year," South said. "We were probably the favorites to win [Class 4A], so not making it was kind of heartbreaking, but I feel like it might've made me practice a little harder to win it for them."
Although the final numbers might've suggested a steady day, South made just seven pars. He headed to the back nine at even-par after shooting 36 on the front, then alternated birdies and bogeys on Nos. 10-13 to stay on that pace.
But an errant tee shot on the par-3 17th bounded over the green and into the water behind the hole, giving hope to playing partner Andrew Payne -- the Little Rock Catholic junior sat at 3 over at that point, finishing there to claim second place.
That wayward 6-iron didn't deter South from hitting the club again on the 18th. Sitting in the middle of the fairway off the tee, he went back to the well.
"I had 218 [yards], it was downwind and then I was in the back bunker and hit a really great wedge," South said.
Par would've finished things, but the soon-to-be University of Arkansas-Little Rock player capped his round with a flourish, rolling in a 3-footer back up the hill for birdie.
Facing what might have been trouble for most players, South made it look easy. The same couldn't be said for Kilcrease, who momentarily looked headed for a potential playoff on the 18th.
The Har-Ber senior was in prime position off the tee, yet came up well short of the green on her second shot, ending up in the rough just above a bunker. Kilcrease's third shot ended up just off the green, but she chipped to pin high on her fourth, making for a relatively straightforward putt to secure the title.
She had no clue of the significance of that final stroke. Mount St. Mary senior Isabel Chaidez sat on the hill watching, knowing a miss would put the pair into bonus holes after carding a 3-over 75 to finish second.
"Coming here, I really wanted to finish strong and make the putt on 18 to have a great year," said Kilcrease, who will play at Tulsa next fall. "People don't realize it's only 18 holes and anything can happen. You've just got to minimize the big numbers and try to get some putts to fall."
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BOYS
Rhett South, Farmington 73
Andrew Payne, Little Rock Catholic 75
Aiden Mayfield, Emerson 76
Roby Cooper, Melbourne 76
Luke Hanson, Maumelle Charter 76
Jack-Henry Wise, Harding Academy 76
Preston Nesterenko, Baptist Prep 78
Will Gordon, Hot Springs Lakeside 78
Cole Kirby, Brookland 79
Hudson Seago, Little Rock Christian 79
Jake Bartlett, Bentonville 80
Collin Spangler, Conway 81
JB Elia, El Dorado 82
Cooper Williams, Crossett 84
Max Gipson, West Side Greers Ferry 86
Colin Purifoy, Spring Hill 86
Luke Fletcher, Mountain View 87
Denton Reiley, Izard County 96
GIRLS
Grace Kilcrease, Springdale Har-Ber 74
Isabel Chaidez, Mount St. Mary 75
Ellen Spigner, Nashville 76
Anna Kate Nichols, Pulaski Academy 78
Caroline Hughes, Jonesboro 79
Emma Hester, Sheridan 80
Aubrey Marx, El Dorado 81
Presli Webb, St. Joseph 82
Anna Cain, Bismarck 89
Cadee Glasgow, Horatio 91
Hannah Collie, Bismarck 93
Aspen Austin, Gosnell 94
Emma Butler, Brookland 94
Bella Frisby, Parkers Chapel 95
Kendra Harness, West Side Greers Ferry 97
Kortnee Finch, West Side Greers Ferry 105
Emma Johnson, West Side Greers Ferry 121