A career-best round from Bennett Briggs has the Edwardsville boys golf team halfway to a championship at the Dick Gerber Invitational.
Briggs tore through Belk Park Golf Course with a 6-under 66 to tie for the individual lead after the first round on Aug. 28 in Wood River. The Tigers also grabbed the team lead with a 2-under 286.
The second and final round is scheduled for Aug. 29 at Legacy Golf Course in Granite City.
Briggs enters the second round tied with St. Anthony’s Logan Gowin for the individual lead. They were two of eight golfers to finish under par, with Althoff’s Carson Tribout alone in third at 2-under 70.
Briggs finished with eight birdies, including five over his final six holes on the front nine. He shot a 4-under 32 on the front and a 2-under 34 on the back.
Edwardsville also counted scores from Michael Shaw (72), Luke Maxim (73) and Drew Capron (75). Henry Willenborg (80) and Brian Cooper (81) rounded out the Tigers’ lineup.
Edwardsville enters the second day with a six-shot lead over St. Anthony, which shot 292. Normal U-High and Mater Dei are tied for third at 298, while O’Fallon is fifth at 303.
The Tigers also entered a second team, which is eighth after shooting a 315.
Brett Kirgan, Kipton Keller and Joel Fields each shot 6-over 78, while Carson Warta carded a 9-over 81.
Father McGivney is 16th in the 22-team field after shooting a 331.
Brayden Kerns led the Griffins with a 7-over 79, followed by Sam Sink at 8-over 80. Austin Sanks and Jack Stirnaman each shot 14-over 86.
Edwardsville last won the Dick Gerber Invitational in 2019. Trevor Laub was the last Tiger to claim medalist honors, winning the individual title in 2018.
The Dick Gerber Invitational is named in honor of the former Edwardsville boys golf coach.
A 1964 EHS graduate, Gerber guided the Tigers to a 662-87-8 record from 1970 to 1997. Edwardsville made 16 state tournament appearances during his tenure, including runner-up finishes in 1985 and 1988, and won five regional, six district and six sectional championships.