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With The Country Club playing tough on Monday morning and afternoon at the Mike Mills Morristown Invitational Golf Tournament, Morristown West’s Greyson Smith stayed composed.

Battling toe-to-toe with Farragut’s Owen Queener for much of the day, Smith made clutch pars down the stretch, and birdies on 15 and 16, to pull ahead. Despite a bogey on 18, Smith held on to shoot an even-par, 72, and win by a shot.

It’s the first high school tournament that Smith has won.

“It feels good just to come out and play well, knowing that I still have it from summer golf,” Smith said. “I had to battle today, didn’t start too well. I made a lot of birdies, but there are still places to improve.”

The turning point for Smith came on the closing holes as he tried to build a lead. Following a bogey on 14, Smith blasted his drive on the par-5 15th and then hit the green in two. While his eagle putt missed, Smith made his birdie.

“I just hit a great drive and a nice 7-iron and two-putted,” Smith said. “I just did what I needed to do.”

Following the birdie, Smith hit another nice drive on 16 but went left of the green on his approach shot. However, Smith had a nice chip that set him up for an easy putt for birdie. Queener bogeyed the hole to give Smith an advantage.

Then on the par-3 17th, Smith went left of the green again but chipped close and saved par again. Smith’s lead grew when Queener doubled the hole.

“The one on 16 was big,” Smith said. “I had a good lie and a good break and had a good shot underneath it. Then, on 17 was routine. Just did what I had to do.”

On 18, Smith went over the trees but left. Smith’s approach shot went into the bunker where he chipped out and two-putted for bogey. However, because of the saves on 16 and 17, the bogey proved not to be detrimental.

As a whole, Smith felt his chipping was the difference maker in his round.

“My chipping was good,” Smith said. “I putted it well, which I haven’t been doing. I hit some good drives off the tee box, too.”

Monday’s MIT is normally one of the first tournaments of the season. For Smith, to start things off on the right foot was huge for his confidence.

“It gives me a lot of momentum,” Smith said. “It shows me what I can do and who I can go out there and compete with. It shows that I can do it.”

REST OF THE TOURNAMENT

As far as West as a team, the Trojans finished in third-place on Monday with a team score of 312. Smith led the way with his 72, while Todd Greene shot a 79. Rounding out the team was Luke Lindsey with an 81, Jace Collake with an 80 and Brance Matthews with a 90. Charlie Dewald played as an individual and shot a 99.

For Morristown East, the ‘Canes finished in 8th place with a score of 338. Parker Spoone led the way for East with an 80, while Hunter Worth, Blake Johns and Trevyn Beam each shot 86. Clint Hemminger shot a 96, and Ian Hurst shot a 99 as an individual.

Cherokee finished right behind Morristown East with a score of 353. Aden Phipps led the way with an 85, and Tanner McPeek and Marshall Seal each shot 88’s. Rounding out the team was Colten McClain with a 92 and Carson Waters with a 101.

Jefferson County also competed at the Tournament and shot a 364. Leading the way for the Patriots was Brody Jones with an 86. Other finishers for Jefferson County included Lucas Havely with an 89, Coleman Sanders with a 94, Cole Osborne with a 95 and Garret Cline with a 107.

For Lakeway Christian, the Lions shot a 372 as a team. Zach Bowls led the way with an 84, while Kyle Oliver shot a 90. Other golfers included Grayson McMinn with a 98, Elijah Wood with a 100 and Jake Neill with a 104.

The final team competing from the Lakeway Area on Monday was Grainger. The Grizzlies finished the day with a 384 as Hadley Johnson shot an 87, Lane Seals a 90, Jacob Hirschfield a 97 and Linx Moore a 110.