It might have seemed like a pressure-packed situation for Benedictine golfer Bear Dollander in his first round of the Class 4A State Tournament on Monday as Georgia coach Chris Haack and Alabama coach Jay Seawell were on hand to watch his first round at the Governors Towne Club in Acworth.
But the sophomore southpaw has nerves of steel. He shot a 30 on his back nine (the front nine of the course) en route to an opening round 66, and then followed up with a 68 on Tuesday to finish at 10-under par and win the individual state title.
Dollander can't legally talk with college coaches until June, but he sent a strong message with his stellar performance. He beat Blake Goodroe of Madison County and Dalton's Cole Stockard by four shots to take medalist honors a year after finishing second as a freshman.
Benedictine finished in third place with a 7-over-par team score of 583, 11 shots back of Cartersville and eight behind runnerup North Oconee.
Sophomore Jack Weeks shot 72-76—148 to finish 23rd and Hamp Threlkeld and Chad Chadwell both had two-day totals of 153 (9-over par) to tie for 28th.
"It feels really good to put two good rounds together back-to-back like that," Dollander said in a phone interview driving back to Savannah on Tuesday evening. "To beat the best players in Georgia in a competitive tournament like that gives me a big confidence boost going into the summer. There wasn't anything really crazy with my play with one aspect of my game standing out. I actually felt like I left a few shots out there, but that's how golf is. I had a good, solid tournament.
"But I would trade this any day for a team title. And we're going to be back next year firing on all cylinders trying to bring a ring back for the whole team."
Headed to State:
The Cadets bring both talent and momentum into the postseason. This spring, they’ve secured team victories at the Cadet Cup and the Grainger Classic, along with runner-up finishes at the Low Country Invitational and the Johnny Paulk Classic — all against strong regional competition.
Sophomore southpaw Bear Dollander has anchored the team from the No. 1 position all year and is widely regarded as one of the top junior golfers in the nation. He made a statement last season by finishing second in the state tournament with an even-par performance, and he's only raised his level since. Dollander has notched individual titles at several marquee events this season, including a co-championship at the Cadet Classic with a 69, a dominant 66 to win the Johnny Paulk Invitational, a 146 two-round total to take the Grainger Classic, and a win at the prestigious Georgia/South Carolina Cup. “Bear has been our leader through the season,” Halligan said. “He's done everything he needed to do to set the tone for the team. We've had a lot of college coaches coming around to see him play — and one of them said that it just sounds different when Bear hits the ball — it's like the sound when a tour player hits it. Bear can move the ball high, low, right, or left and has improved with his attention to the game and course management.” Dollander recently visited Florida State and is receiving heavy recruiting interest from programs such as North Carolina State, Auburn, Oklahoma, Clemson, TCU, and Florida.
The Cadets top four features junior Hamp Threlkeld at No. 2, junior Chad Chadwell at No. 3 and sophomore Jack Weeks at No. 4. The depth of the Cadet squad is one of the team's strengths. In the Area Tournament, which BC won for the second year in a row, freshman Alex Dao and junior Heath Kulp played in the No. 5 and No. 6 spots. "That's what impresses me most is our depth," Halligan said. "We have the luxury of having five or six guys capable of playing at five and six. Our 'B' team won the (High School) City Championship and has been in contention at some other tournaments. Our guys just love to compete."
That mentality was evident at a recent practice at the Savannah Golf Club where the squad split up into two-man teams and played Ryder Cup style matches — having fun together, while developing that killer instinct.
"Just having such a strong team takes the pressure off and our intense practices have helped me play more loose and free in tournaments," said the 6-foot-2, 185-pound Dollander, whose favorite PGA player is fellow lefty Ashkay Bhatia. "I think I've gotten better just by getting older, having measured practices and playing with more maturity. Our goal is all about the team — we want to win that state championship."
Chadwell said the team's dynamic has led to its success. "We're all really close, but at practice we just want to beat each other, and that builds camaraderie," he said. Weeks agreed with Chadwell's take. "When you know every shot matters in practice it creates a competitive environment and that helps keep us focused in tournaments," Weeks said.
Hamp Threlkeld is the younger brother of Hughes Threlkeld, a senior standout at the University of North Georgia. Hamp served as his brother's caddie at the Club Car Classic in March where Hughes got to play on a sponsor's exemption. "We've got so much talent and it's been great to see everyone working to improve their games to help the team," said Threlkeld, who is receiving recruiting interest from schools including North Georgia. "We've focused on winning the state title and it's still a work in progress. We want to be peaking for that tournament."
As the Cadets head to Acworth, they’re not just chasing a championship — they’re chasing a legacy. And with a combination of depth, experience, and elite talent, this could be the year Benedictine brings the trophy back to Savannah. Go Cadets!!
For coach Kevin Halligan, this run holds special meaning. He was a senior on Benedictine’s last state championship team in 1993. Now, more than three decades later, he has the opportunity to lead his team, which includes his twin sons, Seniors Colin and Sean, back to the top.
