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Getting selected to any all-state team is an honor, but to be the first all-state golfer from LaGrange High since 2011 is quite the accolade for Saxon Chastain, who just wrapped his freshman year as a Granger. 

“It was never something that crossed my mind,” Chastain said. “I was satisfied that I was selected, but I’m not content.

“I don’t think about awards or anything like that, I just want to go out and shoot my best score each round.”

Chastain, one of the best young golfers to rise the ranks in Troup County in a long time, put together an impressive first-year resumé. He finished the season averaging 75.2 strokes a round, finished 14th in the state in 4A (low freshman) and won three tournament individual titles along the way — winning the Area 1-AAAA tournament, Granger Shootout and the UL Knight Invitational. 

The wins were impressive, but his resolve and determination at the state tournament was one of his standout performances in a season full of them.

“Monday was pouring down rain and windy the whole time,” Chastain said. “Tuesday the whole team played a lot better, and I definitely played a lot better too.”

After a double bogey on the opening hole of the first round, play was put under a rain delay and it took Chastain a while to recover from his tough start, but he bunkered down and weathered the storm.

“You can’t go out there and throw a pity party,” Chastain said. “You can’t let one or two bad holes mess up the whole round.”

All these achievements led him to being named to the Georgia High School Golf Coaches’ Association team. He was the first Granger to be named to the all-state team since Charlie Martin back in 2011. Martin went on to enjoy a four-year golf career at Georgia Southern.

The Grangers golf team had some highs and lows over the last decade, but Chastain is helping to put them back on the map. The team finished top 10 in state, but he has eyes on moving up the leaderboard next season.

“I think if everybody comes back with the right attitude we can finish in the top six in state next year,” Chastain said.

LaGrange will be returning all but one golfer from a season ago — recent graduate Jackson Dennis. With Chastain back in the fold for his sophomore campaign, among others, the Grangers are poised to break out in 2024. Chastain is hungrier than ever to see the Grangers succeed and plans to spend the next year perfecting his craft.

“I’m still working on my ball striking because I feel like my short game is good enough that if I start hitting it well I can takes some strokes off my play,” Chastain said.