By Nick Stevens, HighSchoolOT managing editor

Southern Pines, N.C. — East Surry senior Connor Key leads the field after the first day of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 2A boys golf state championship at the Longleaf Golf & Family Club, and he has the East Surry team comfortably in first place.

Key shot a six-under par 66 in the first round of the state championship tournament, which is a two-day event.

The front nine was a good showing for Key, who shot two birdies in the first nine holes, but he pulled away in the back nine where he shot four birdies. Key did not have a single hole where he was over par on Monday.

Key enters the second day of competition on Tuesday with a two-stroke lead on Farmville Central junior Holden Rucker, who shot a four-under par 68 on Monday.

Rucker shot seven birdies, but a double bogey on his first hole of the day — hole No. 10 — and a bogey on No. 1 kept him behind Key.

East Surry freshman Pennson Badgett finished in a tie for third place with Beddingfield senior Nate O’Neal on Monday. Both golfers shot three-under par 69. Drew O’Neal, also a senior at Beddingfield, and Atley Gabriel, a senior at Bandys, finished with a one-under par 71 to finish the day tied for fifth place.

Key and Badgett led the way for East Surry in the team race. East Surry finished the first round at +1 in the team score, comfortably ahead of the pack.

Pine Lake Prep (+25), Seaforth (+26), and Bandys (+28) are all within a few strokes of one another in second, third, and fourth places respectively. Polk County is in fifth place with a +36.

The course at Longleaf is setup as a par-72 at 6,602 yards.

1. Connor Key (East Surry) – 66 (-6)

2. Holden Rucker (Farmville Central) – 68 (-4)

T3. Pennson Badgett (East Surry) – 69 (-3)

T3. Nate O’Neal (Beddingfield) – 69 (-3)

T5. Drew O’Neal (Beddingfield) – 71 (-1)

T5. Atley Gabriel (Bandys) – 71 (-1)

T7. Cooper Mizelle (Pine Lake Prep) – 72 (E)

T7. Aiden Penhall (Pine Lake Prep) – 72 (E)

T9. D’Yanni Rhyne (Lincoln Charter) – 73 (+1)

T9. John McCoy (Salisbury) – 73 (+1)

1. East Surry (+1)

2. Pine Lake Prep (+25)

3. Seaforth (+26)

4. Bandys (+28)

5. Polk County (+36)

6. Raleigh Charter (+39)

7. Forbush (+41)

8. Salisbury (+42)

9. Beddingfield (+49)

10. Research Triangle (+51)

11. Farmville Central (+70)

12. East Carteret (+87)