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By Bill Templeton
Sports Writer

Harlan County High School junior Brayden Casolari was unable to climb up the leaderboard Tuesday at the KHSAA Boys’ State Golf Championship, finishing with a second consecutive round of 6-over-par 78 and a tie for 38th place at Bowling Green Country Club.
Casolari resolved the problems off the tee that had plagued him throughout the first round, but his putter betrayed him on Tuesday.
“I hit the ball much better than the first day but couldn’t make putts.” Casolari said “I made two birdies, but was in good position off the tee to make more.
“I missed a few of my approach shots to the short side and made it tough on myself. I never got in a good rhythm during the tournament. Every time I would get something going it seemed like I would bogey. it was a tough two days.”
Casolari recorded nine pars, six bogeys and a double bogey, and finished with 35 putts on the fast, firm greens at Bowling Green Country Club.
Despite the disappointing finish in the second state tournament of his three-year high school career, Casolari remained positive after the round.
“It’s just golf,” he said. “I’ve played way over 100 competitive tournaments around the country and sometimes you just don’t play your best. I’ve learned to accept it and get ready for the next one, because I know I can compete with anybody in the country on any given day.”
Next up for the three-time Pine Mountain Golf Conference Player of the Year is an appearance in the Kentucky Jr. Tour Championship at Winchester Country Club in two weeks, followed by a national Golf Week event at Big Blue in Lexington the first weekend in November.
Casolari will cap his 2024 campaign in late November with the Golf Week Elite event at Vanderbilt in Nashville.