Trigg County senior Carson Kline saved the best 18-hole round of his high school career for his final one.
Kline shot a 5-over-par 77 Tuesday at Bardstown Country Club in the first round of the KHSAA Boys State Golf Tournament, finishing tied for 40th place.
The 77 was one shot better than Kline’s previous career low of 78, which he shot at the regional tournament to qualify for the state first round.
It also marked the lowest state first-round score by a Trigg County golfer since Hunter Reynolds shot a 74 in 2022.
Kline finished four shots away from qualifying for the state championship round, but getting to 77 required a strong recovery after a difficult start.
Beginning his round on the 10th hole, Kline opened with a double bogey. He settled down with three consecutive pars before making three straight bogeys, leaving him 5-over through seven holes.
Kline said nerves played a role in the early struggles, but they weren’t the only problem.
“I think they were definitely a factor in it, but I think one of the main struggles was I just wasn’t finding the club face right,” he said.
Kline had played a practice round at Bardstown Country Club on Monday and said the course proved more challenging than he expected, particularly around the greens.
“The greens were really hard and firm, and they were a lot faster than I anticipated,” he said.
His round began to change on the 17th hole.
Kline made par there and followed with a birdie on No. 18 to make the turn with some momentum.
“It boosted me a lot because I hit the fairway, hit the green when I needed to, and one-putted,” Kline said. “It just helped me see the greens and the whole course a lot easier.”
Kline played his final nine holes in 1-over par. After struggling early on, his approach became much simpler in the closing stretch.
“All I focused on was just hitting greens in regulation and just making sure I was two-putting,” he said.
The strong finish allowed Kline to close his high school career with a new personal best.
While he was pleased with the result, Kline also felt there were still shots left on the course.
“It doesn’t feel like I gave it my all,” he said. “But it feels pretty good. It’s a good way to go out.”
Kline pointed to his driver and approach shots as the areas where he made the biggest improvement during his senior season.
His competitive golf career may not end with high school, either. When asked if he would consider continuing to play after graduation, Kline said he “definitely” would.
Breckinridge County’s Lemuel Wright and Bowling Green’s Johnny Brown posted the low rounds of the day, each shooting a 5-under-par 67 to advance to the state championship round.
