2026 State Golf Feature: McClain’s Connor Chandler ready to debut at Div. II State Golf Tournament 

McClain junior Connor Chandler will be playing in the Division II OHSAA State Golf Championships on Sunday and Monday at the Firestone Country Club in Akron as he qualified for the top high school tournament as an individual. 

Chandler qualified for the state tournament by tying for third place at the Division II District Tournament with a score of 77 in the 18-hole event at Crown Hill Golf Course in early October. 

The McClain junior has played golf for four years, as he explained why he chose to play the sport. 

“I have golfed for about four years now. What drew me to the sport was I’ve always enjoyed watching golf, and my family loves golf also, so it inspired me to start playing golf,” Chandler said. “My favorite part of the sport is getting to enjoy playing with family and friends. I’ve continued to play because golf is a sport I’ve always loved, and I enjoy every minute of playing.”

This season, Chandler placed fifth at the Frontier Athletic Conference Championships with a score of 79 (18 holes), and at sectionals he placed tied second with a score of 75 (37, 38) in the 18-hole event. Those two finishes were big for Chandler, but his top moment this season was qualifying for state. 

“My best golf round this season was my district match at Crown Hill because it’s a great experience, and when I realized I made it to state is a memory I will never forget,” the MHS junior said. “Some of my biggest moments this season were making all-league and qualifying for districts, along with qualifying for state.”

McClain boys head coach Derrick Lyons — who is in his first season as the boys head coach and previously was the head coach for four years with the girls team — spoke about Chandler’s season as a whole and how good of a player he has become. 

“Connor has been a steady number-one man for us all year. He’s averaging 38 per nine holes, and he can play with anyone,” Lyons said. “His average is down just over a stroke per nine this year, so he is still improving. He can hit it a mile.

“The confidence in his game is where I’ve seen the most improvement. Connor has known he’s a good golfer, but I’ve seen him really develop the belief that he could accomplish something like qualifying for the state tournament. There’s a large gap between knowing you can and believing you can, and Connor has started believing in his success.”

 Chandler said the difference from his previous two seasons at the varsity level to this year was “learning to keep his composure” on the links. 

“The difference between this season and last is that this season I’ve learned to keep my composure and stay calm while playing,” Chandler said. “Doing this has improved my game significantly.”

Coach Lyons mentioned the maturity of Chandler this season and how it has helped him on the golf course. 

“His maturity as a golfer has shown, and Connor has a ton of natural talent. I’ve seen him improve his course and green management. He knows the proper place to miss on a given shot,” Lyons said. “We’ve talked about his reads on putts, on the risks/rewards of attempting a certain shot. 

“You learn a great deal about a golfer and their thinking when you talk through their game with them. Our conversations at this point in the season are different even from the conversations three months ago.”

The Tigers’ head coach also talked about seeing Chandler qualify for state and what the experience was like seeing Chandler achieve his goal of being a state qualifier with his district placement. 

“Watching him play well was fantastic. You hope he can escape the times he was in a tough spot. He hit it to five feet on hole 12 from a stance literally in a pine tree,” Lyons said. “Later, he birdied from a nearly impossible position on 16. 

“He had a way that day of just making it around the course no matter where he left himself. We felt good after the round, then it was just a case of waiting to see if the number he posted would hold. It did, and he actually tied for third overall — just a really incredible day.”

Being a state qualifier is big for any golfer, but playing as an individual for the first time brings a lot of excitement to look forward to, and Chandler is excited to play at the Firestone golf course. 

“What I’m looking most forward to at state will be the experience,” Chandler said. “Getting to play against other great golfers and meeting new players all across Ohio will also be very fun.

“Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way: my friends, my family, the community, my teammates and God. I wouldn’t be here today without any of these people.”