The beginning of the high school golf season could not have gone better for local product Isaac Walker who topped 77 golfers from around the midstate to claim the Early Bird Tournament in Cookeville last week.

“He will be playing collegiate golf somewhere,” predicted DeKalb County Golf Coach John Pryor, noting the top DeKalb County High golfer is expected to continue doing big things on the golf courses around the state this season.

Walker won the Early Bird Tournament at the Golden Eagle Golf Course, besting golfers from 15 schools including the host Cookeville squad. The senior carded a two under par 68 on his way to the win. The DeKalb team as a whole finished 13 out of the 15 teams with Jayden Young shooting an 87, Ethan Jenkins a 99, Justin Washer a 106 and Chance Mabe a 106 on the par 70 course. The DeKalb golfers finished 65 strokes behind the host and winner of the tournament as Cookeville finished with a combined 295.

Joining Walker with a great start to the season was Anna Chew who finished the Early Bird tied for third, four strokes behind winner Mallory Teurucht of Tullahoma who won with a 73. DeKalb does not have enough golfers to field a girls squad as of yet so Chew was competing in single competition.

Coach Pryor believes Walker and Chew have excellent opportunities to make the state tournament given their improvement coming into the season.