Knights sophomore makes state tournament debut
Pinehurst – There were a lot of positives for Isaiah Brown to take away from his first experience competing in the 1A state golf tournament.
Above everything he absorbed from the two-day showcase – held this year at Pinehurst No. 6 – Brown carried one huge lesson back to Graham County: he knows he belongs in the hunt.
“The golf course was tough,” said the Robbinsville sophomore, who finished tied for 28th overall after recording a two-day score of 170, split evenly at 85 between both trips through the course.
“I felt like I could have put up better numbers than I did, but I was relieved at the fact that I was able to at least be consistent.”
Brown experienced a big heartbreak last season, missing the cut for state by a mere one stroke. In response, he maintained his status as Robbinsville’s No. 1 golfer on the scorecard in 2023 and was an integral part of the Knights finishing second at the Smoky Mountain Tournament this year.
“It was an amazing feeling,” Brown said of his qualification for Pinehurst. “Ever since last year, it has been my goal to make it, so to see my name circled meant the world to me.”
For a young golfer like Brown, playing on a premiere, well-renowned course like Pinehurst No. 6 can be intimidating. While he did admit it was “tough,” Brown felt more at ease following the May 14 practice round.
“It was amazing,” Brown added. “It was very overwhelming, which was kind of nice because it finally felt like my first big tournament.”
Brown had a mini-entourage following him at the tournament – and that does not even count his grandfather Jody and father Jeremy, both of whom help coach the Black Knights team. With widespread community support behind him – and two years left to make an impact – the Snowbird native already has the right mindset for the offseason: get better.
“I plan on practicing a lot at Sequoyah National in Cherokee with my coach Carr Crowe,” said Brown. “He has been a huge blessing to me throughout my golf career. I plan on working all of the offseason and trying to improve the most I can before next year.”
Mitchell’s Connor Warren finished a stunning 11 under-par at the tournament, shooting a 133 to win the individual championship. The Mountaineers also won the team title, outclassing South Stanly 636-656.