Johnston, SC – The Strom Thurmond High School (STHS) golf team participated in the Region 3-AA golf tournament, held at Mount Vintage Plantation on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, earning a third-place finish. Matt Hayes says he is proud of the way his Rebels prepared and played in the region tournament and throughout the season.

“The guys competed well this season and really wanted to learn and get better and work on their swings and course management because some of them hadn’t been playing all that long,” stated STHS Golf Head Coach Matt Hayes. “I had a lot of players and parents to complement our guys on their sportsmanship and how they interacted with others on the course during the matches, which is an important part of the game so that was great to hear. They were a real pleasure to coach. We reached some team goals and individual goals as well, so this season was a success.”

The top overall golfer at the Region 3-AA tournament was Rebels’ standout Charlie Fallaw, who fired an 80 to take medalist honors as the Region 3-AA Player of the Year and qualify for the Class AA individual golf tournament, to be held at Newberry Country Club next week (May 15-16). Other individual scores for the Rebels in the Region 3-AA tournament were Christian Haskins (88), Isaac Westbrook (101), Ike Rodgers (108), and Joey Luther (127). Christian Haskins will be joining his teammate, Charlie Fallaw, at the state tournament.

“Charlie had a lot of good rounds this year as well as Christian Haskins,” commented Hayes. “Charlie hit the ball well at the region tournament to win region player of the year and just really played well all year. Charlie and Christian were our top two players, and they were able to shoot consistently in the low forties or upper thirties (in nine holes). Christian shot 38 at Persimmon Hill against Saluda, which was the low round that day.”

Charlie, a senior, wrapped up region play as a prep golfer in the very best way possible.

“This is the first time I’ve been the region medalist,” stated Charlie. “There were a lot of challenges that day with all the wind, but you always need to have mental fortitude and look ahead to the next shot. You must stay focused no matter what kind of shot you just hit. It’s not always something that’s easy to do, but that day I was able to do it and by the time we got to the back nine I was hitting some good shots and ended up winning.”

Charlie says two shots that day, one with a wedge that rescued a wayward tee shot and another with a fairway wood that left him thinking eagle, gave him the confidence to finish the course strong and win the region title.

“I put my tee shot in the woods on an uneven lie sitting on pine straw,” commented Charlie. “I had a couple of choices, but the wind was helping me push it left and I decided to go for it, and I hit a seven-iron to around 15 feet from the hole and it rolled another five feet, and I made birdie. Then I made birdie on thirteen, which was a par five. It was a decent-sized green, but the flag was on the right with a bunker in front and I landed it perfectly just over the bunker with a three-wood and had a 12-footer for eagle. With those two shots in a short stretch, I had to take a step back there for a minute.”

The state tournament is being hosted on a course Charlie has not played, although he does have plans to play a practice round there. Regardless of the unfamiliar terrain and layout, however, Charlie says the mental approach to the game should never change.

“I’m sure they will make it play as tough as possible, but it will be the same thing with the way you approach it,” stated Charlie. “You just need to stay mentally consistent. Even if you make a good shot, you still have to make the putt.” 

Congratulations to our Rebels on a terrific season. We wish Charlie Fallaw and Christian Haskins the best in next week’s state tournament.