CHAPEL HILL — For the eighth year in a row, all four N.C. High School Athletic Association state golf championships will be played simultaneously at four different sites across the state on Monday and Tuesday, May 12-13.

The 72nd 4-A championships will be held at Pinehurst No. 6, with the 23rd 3-A championships at the Fox Fire Resort and Country Club’s East course at Fox Fire Village. The 23rd 2-A event is scheduled for Longleaf Golf and Country Club in Southern Pines, and the 11th 1-A championships will be contested at the Keith Hills Country Club in Buies Creek.

Each course will be set up at approximately 6,500 yards and par 72.

The top three teams from each of the regionals along with the top three individuals not on one of the qualifying teams earned spots in the 36-hole classified championships. Prior to 1986, all NCHSAA golf teams competed for a single title in an open tournament. Play went to three classifications in 1986 and then to four classes beginning with the 1998 tournaments.    

Green Hope High is seeking its third straight 4-A state team championship and fourth in the last six years. Its previous two championships included a pair of sub-600 rounds, in 2006 at Pinehurst No. 6 and last year at The Reserve in Southport. Green Hope has an extremely well-balanced team and won both the Tri-Eight Conference championship and the Mid-East Region title. Senior Marcus Lindroos had Green Hope’s best score in the regionals at two-under 70, one of only five golfers in that regional to break par.

Hickory won the state 3-A championship a year ago and Robert Hoadley of Cameron Union Pines was the individual state champion. The 2006 champ, Charlotte Catholic’s Mike Muscatell, has once again qualified for the state event.

Ledford has earned the last three state 2-A team titles and is back to defend its crown, but two-time state individual champion Will Collins of Salisbury has graduated.

In the 1-A classification, East Surry has won the last three team championships and Siler City Jordan-Matthews took the two before that. John Weldon of East Surry won the 2007 individual 1-A crown.