Mater Dei Wins Palmetto High School Golf Championship

Jaden Cantafio shot a 5-under par 67 to lead Mater Dei to victory in the Palmetto High School Golf Championship Saturday at True Blue Golf Club. Mater Dei finished with a two-round total of 586, 12 strokes better than second-place Charlotte Catholic in the Championship Flight.

(Leaderboard: Championship Flight – Team, Individual; First Flight: Team, Individual)

Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) entered the round trailing Charlotte Catholic by three strokes, but Cantafio’s nearly flawless round powered the Monarchs. He birdied the first and fourth holes and never looked back.

Cantafio captured medalist honors as well with a 36-hole total of 4-under par 140, two shots ahead of Hunter Battles of Muscle Shoals (Ala.) High School.

Woodruff (S.C.) High School won the First Flight championship, besting Arapahoe by seven shots. Woodruff’s Daniel Brasington won medalist honors, shooting a 70 Saturday at Caledonia Golf & Fish Club.

The Palmetto is a 54-hole, college-style event that began on Thursday with a qualifying round. Based on qualifying scores, teams were flighted for 36 holes of stroke play competition.

Weekend rounds were played at True Blue and Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, both of which are ranked among America’s top 100 public courses.

Current PGA Tour players Rickie Fowler, the 2006 champion, and Harris English are among the Palmetto’s distinguished alums.

For more information, go to www.PalmettoHSGolf.com.