For the first time in 40 years, the Bainbridge Bearcats golf team won the Region Tournament Monday at Country Oaks Golf Course in Thomasville.

To qualify for the State Tournament, teams had to score a 350 or less among their top four golfers.

Bainbridge scored a 347, and will skip past the Sectionals Tournament and head straight to State on May 15.

Brenden Greene led the team with an 83, followed by Christian Novak with an 84, Bryce Howell with an 86, Jones Gossett with a 94 and Steven Key with a 96.

“These kids have peaked when the stakes were the highest,” Coach Tom Wheeler said. “We made our mark. I’m just really proud of our guys.”

Last Saturday, the Bearcat golf team won the Country Oaks Invitational on the same course.

Wheeler said the round definitely helped his team prepare for the Region Tournament.

“It doesn’t hurt to be familiar with the course and know where to hit it,” Wheeler said.

The State Tournament on Monday, May 15, takes place at Jones Creek Golf Club in Augusta.

Wheeler said he plans for the team to arrive the Saturday before the tournament to attend a banquet, and then play a practice round on Sunday.

“We still got some strokes to shave off,” Wheeler said. “We just got to find out where we can trim a few more off. We’ll go up there knowing we have done what we wanted to do.”