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Ty Folsom is the LCR’s Boys Golfer of the Year. (MANDI SLOAN/Special to the LCR)
Ty Folsom is always aiming to improve his game.
His numbers were decent early in the season and he even won the Alachua County John and Ives Tournament. But Folsom knew his scores could be lower, so he headed over to Jacksonville to see golf instructor Boots Farley at the University of North Florida like he always had before to tweak his swing.
“The swing change for me was for ball striking and hitting more greens,” Folsom said. “At the beginning of the season I was working around the greens with my short game. I felt like I needed to make a swing change to hit more greens.”
It paid dividends on the biggest stage of the season.
Folsom led Columbia at the Class 2A state tournament with rounds of 78 and 77 to finish tied for 18th. It capped off an impressive season for the junior, who finished with an area-best nine-hole average of 38.5.
His accolades have earned him the Lake City Reporter’s Boys Golfer of the Year honor.
“I did really good at state, just on those days when I got to the last few holes my mental clarity just wasn’t there,” Folsom said. “The first day I was 3-over going into the last three holes and just went double double bogey. The second day I was 1-under going into the last three holes and went double double bogey again. But top 18 for how I played was still pretty good.”
Folsom had an impressive showing at the District 2-2A Tournament, shooting a 75 to place third and just four strokes behind teammate Zach Shaw for the title. That helped the Tigers win back-to-back district championships.
But Folsom struggled at the Region 1-2A Tournament as he adjusted to his swing change, shooting an 86 to finish tied for 33rd. Columbia also finished fifth as a team and a return trip to state looked out of the cards.
Despite not receiving an automatic berth, the Tigers lucked out with an at-large bid and Folsom made the most of it at the two-day tournament in Howey-in-the-Hills.
“From a scoring standpoint it may not look like he improved on a trend that kept going up but I will say from a technical standpoint and as far as his swing has come, I think he’s got the prettiest swing on the team in terms of the technicalities of it,” Columbia coach Chase Hagler said. “And he carries himself like a serious golfer and I want to see more of that going into next season because he’s got the perfect build. He smacks the ball a mile.
“I think if he can start to get the mental side and carry some of the confidence from these low rounds that he had this year, I think he can really explode next year. He’s got one year left and I’d really like to see him to go state and truly compete.”
Folsom’s nine-hole mark was also a big improvement from his sophomore season when he averaged 41.38. He credits that to his mental side of the game.
“Last year I pretty much went out there to just play and didn’t have a purpose,” Folsom said. “This year I had a purpose, which was to go out there and shoot as low as I possibly could. My mindset growing into the game was definitely the biggest thing.”
With just one season left in high school, Folsom is setting the bar higher for his senior year. He wants not just himself but also his team to compete for a state title.
Folsom believes he can accomplish both.
“Expectations for next year, we should definitely go undefeated during the regular season,” Folsom said. “And I think next year we can definitely place top five (at state) for sure.
“Individually, I want my scoring average to be at least par or better. And then at state, I was top 18 this year so next year I’m definitely looking for a top-10 finish.”
ALL-AREA TEAM
Ty Folsom
Columbia, junior
The LCR’s Boys Golfer of the Year posted a team-best 38.5 nine-hole average for the District 2-2A champion Tigers, helping the team return to regionals and reach state for the second straight season. Folsom placed third at districts, tied for 33rd at regionals and then led the team at state by tying for 18th.
Spencer McCranie
Columbia, sophomore
Placed fourth in District 2-2A with a 77 and finished the season with a 39.1 nine-hole average. McCranie led the team at the Region 1-2A Tournament by tying for 15th and went on to tie for 54th at state.
Zach Shaw
Columbia, junior
Won the District 2-2A title with a 71 to help his team win the tournament as well. Shaw finished the season with a 39.5 nine-hole average, tied for 18th at regionals and tied for 50th at state.
Connor Williams
Columbia, freshman
Tied for 17th in District 2-2A with a 91 and finished the season with a 44.6 nine-hole average. Williams tied for 49th at regionals and placed 82nd at state to wrap up his first season.
Colby Tedder
Suwannee, senior
Led the Bulldogs at the District 2-2A Tournament, tying for 10th with an 89 to help the team finish third and qualify for regionals. Tedder tied for 29th at the Region 1-2A Tournament with an 85.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Chase Hagler
Columbia
In his first season at the helm, Hagler helped the Tigers win back-to-back district titles before leading them back to the Class 2A state tournament for the second straight year, where they placed 14th. Columbia also won the Alachua County John and Ives Tourney by beating Buchholz in a playoff.