Lebanon County doesn’t send competitors to the state golf tournament most years. The county certainly didn’t expect to qualify a local player this year.
That should give you an idea of the kind of year Luke Spangler had.
On Tuesday at Heritage Hills Golf Resort in York, Spangler concluded a spectacular junior golf season by finishing in a tie for 17th place at the PIAA Class AA Championships. The Northern Lebanon 11th-grader carded a two-day, 36-hole total of 79-84=163, or 21 over par.
During his rounds over two days, Spangler posted 16 pars, three birdies and ten bogeys.
A week earlier, Spangler had qualified for the state tournament by recording a six-over par 78 at the PIAA Eastern Regional event at the 6,648-yard, par-72, Golden Oaks Golf Club in Fleetwood. By so doing, Spangler became the first Lebanon County competitor in 15 years to make it to states, and the first Viking golfer in nearly 30 years to do so.
At the District Three Class AA tournament at Briarwood East Golf Course in York earlier in October, Spangler had finished fourth overall, with a two-round total of 81-78=159, or 15 over par.
In September, Spangler captured the Lebanon County Scholastic Golf Championship at Pine Meadows.