Princeton was barely a blip on most people’s radar to open the 2023 golf season.
The youngsters from Mercer County have done their best to change that narrative over the last two months.
And change it they have.
The Tigers have not quite reached the status of regional favorite with the likes of Class AAA titans George Washington, Beckley and Greenbrier East, but they have at least put themselves soundly in the conversation.
Dylan Canterbury has provided head coach Scott Miller with a solid No. 1 player, but the junior standout has had plenty of help behind him.
Junior Joe Flanigan fired a 39 earlier in the month at Pipestem to earn a low medalist honor, while sophomore Kaden Davis and freshman Eli Bailey have been a steady force for the Tigers this season.
Senior Virgil Ellison has a low medalist honor at Bridgehaven Golf Club to his credit and earlier in the month Princeton had a stretch of three straight wins as a team.
The Tigers also have a pair of freshman girls, MaeAnn Stroupe and Alyssa Christian, that have played well and have a promising road ahead.
Canterbury has a pair of low medalist honors on his resume’, but his best performance came last week at the Coalfield Conference Tournament.
Playing in a postseason type atmosphere on the Cobb Course at the Resort at Glade Springs, Canterbury shot 78 on the par-72 layout, just two shots back of overall low medalist Jonah Willson from Beckley. The round was second best among the AAA schools and third best overall.
The fact that Canterbury has developed into a top-notch golfer is really no surprise. All he needed was a little more focus.
“I have been around golf my whole life. My dad has always played and my Papaw has played. A lot of my family has been into golf,” Canterbury said. “I have played golf throughout the years and have played school golf since sixth grade. I hadn’t been really serious about it until last summer. I really started taking the game serious coming into this season.”
Last year Canterbury played well, but not at the level he is currently entering regional play.
After earning first-team All-Coalfield Conference honors last year, Canterbury did not have his best day at regionals. Since then he has put in the work and is now reaping some of the rewards. Rewards that have spurred him to work even harder.
“My progress can be tied to my play from tee to green. I have worked on hitting fairways and hitting greens,” Canterbury said. “I still have a lot of work to do with putting and chipping though.”
Following the strong performance last week, Canterbury is hoping he, and his teammates, can translate that momentum into regional success.
“That is what we are hoping for and that is what we are going up there for. We are hoping for a good round of golf and hoping to compete,” Canterbury said.
One of the biggest obstacles for the area Class AAA schools in regional play is the lack of familiarity with the course which is typically in the Charleston area.
The AAA Region 3 tournament this year will be played Monday at Big Bend Golf Course in Tornado, WV, two hours from Princeton High School, making regular season visits tough.
For Canterbury, that may not be as big of an obstacle as other area players.
“My cousin actually goes to Herbert Hoover and that is where they play all of their home matches. I have been out there a few times,” Canterbury said.
The top two teams Monday will qualify for the state golf tournament Oct. 3-4 played on the Speidel Course at Oglebay Park, but that is not the only way to find your way to Wheeling.
The top two players not among the winning teams will also qualify for the individual tournament.
If the Tigers do not qualify as a team, Canterbury will likely need a round in the 70’s to qualify as an individual. He is confident he can get the job done.
“There are quite a few blind spots, but other than that the course is right out in front of you,” Canterbury said. “The course is not on the side of a hill, it is really flat. If you hit the ball well, you will score well. I know that if I play to my ability that I can break 80.”
