Wake Forest’s Alex Smalley wins N.C. Invitational

Wake Forest High’s Alex Smalley shot a two-under-par 70 Monday to win the ninth annual N.C. High School Invitational at Treyburn Country Club.

Smalley, a Duke recruit, shot a 35 on the front nine and matched it on the backside to claim medalist honors.

There was a three-way tie for second among Joshua Martin of Southern Pines Pinecrest, Noah Edmondson of Concord Cannon School, and Jonathan Rector of Arden Christ School). Each shot a one-under 71.

Pinecrest won the team competition for the second straight year with a 300. Cannon School was second (304) followd by Christ School and Charlotte’s Myers Park, 306s. Broughton shot 310 was was fifth.

Panther Creek sophomore Viraj Garewal shot a two-under par 34 on the front side and finished with a 74. He holed a 180-yard shot uphill from the fairway, which was the consensus shot of the day.

“I hit it really straight and it was on line, but I didn’t know it had gone in until I got up to the green and somebody’s mom said (wow there is a ball in the hole)”, Garewal said.

The youngster cooled off a little bit on the front nine, posting a 40 after bogeying four straight holes to finish off his afternoon.

Garewal credited his success to a recent swing change he was forced to make due to nagging back pain.

“I have been trying to stay more level with my head and not dip as much,” Garewal said. “It was really working for me today, I came up a little short of the green a few times when I should have been able to land it up there, but I definitely met my expectations. This is a great tournament and I can only hope to be invited back again next year.”

Even with two years left at Panther Creek, the promising young golfer has been getting looked at by Division 1 colleges.

St. David’s placed 11th with a 323 followed by Leesville Road (325) and Millbrook (326) at 12th and 13th.

This story was originally published April 13, 2015 at 8:47 PM with the headline "Wake Forest’s Alex Smalley wins N.C. Invitational."