BILOXI — Pearl River Central’s golf team has led the Class 5A state tournament after the first day of competition each of the past two years.

 

If Tuesday’s showing at the third major of the season is any indication, the Blue Devils may be in position to make a run at the title again this year.

 

Malachi Spiers shot an impressive 70 to take low medalist honors, and PRC finished second here at the Sunkist Invitational.

 

Defending Southh State champion West Jones won the event with a team total of 304, while PRC finished at 313. St. Stanislaus finished third at 315. Fifteen teams competed in the event, with Picayune finishing 10th with a 356.

 

“We’re probably playing as good as I thought we would at this point in the season,” Blue Devils head coach Bruce Penton, whose team finished fourth overall at the state tourney last year, said. “We’ve had basically the same team for the past few years, and they really put in a lot of hard work in the off season so I expected us to do well.”

 

Spiers was close to the course record of 66 entering the last few holes. However, he double bogeyed the final hole but his round was still impressive enough to take home top individual honors.

 

“He played really well today, and could have even shot a little better,” Penton added. “But he still played a great round of golf.”

 

Spiers headed up the all tournament team that also included Thomas Mles of West Jones (72), Cole Baggett of St. Stanislaus (73), Tyler Haskins of Hancock (77), Jackson Wedgeworth of West Jones (78) and Vincent Almerico of SSC (78).

 

Spiers topped the PRC team with his 70, followed by Nick Sumner (79), Mason Cunningham (81), Carter Nicolson (83) and Matthew Spiers (86).

 

For Picayune, Jon Brunson and Brandon Ladmirault led the way with scores of 84 and 87, respectively, while Ethan Jones shot a 90 and Drew Larsen had a 94.

 

Ocean Springs and its standout senior golfer Zach Myers had won the previous two majors of the season at Great Southern as well as Diamondhead with Myers taking low medalist honors at each event.

 

The Greyhounds, however, didn’t not compete Tuesday at Sunkist opting instead to play in a tournament in Jackson.

 

Up next for the local linksters is the fourth and final major of the season which takes place Tuesday at Grand Bear in Gulfport.

 

Pearl River Central will host district tournament, which includes Picayune, at Millbrook Country Club on Tuesday, April 22.