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O’FALLON, Mo. — Capturing the district golf championship is getting to be old hat for Liberty junior Cole Packingham.

He fired a 6-under-par 65 Friday to win medalist honors by five strokes in the Class 5 District 2 boys golf tournament at The Falls Golf Club. He was 1-under 35 on the front nine before burning up the back nine with a 5-under 30. He recorded seven birdies.

That made back-to-back district crowns for Packingham.

It was his best score ever on the course, which he considers his second home course.

“I hit a lot of good shots today,” said Packingham, who plays The Falls sometimes but is a member of WingHaven Country Club.

Team winners

There was a three-way tie among the 15 teams for first place. Chaminade, Francis Howell and De Smet all shot 295.

Team scores are based on the best four individuals on a five-player team, but to break the three-way deadline the best fifth-player score was used to break the tie.

Chaminade took first place.

“I’m a little surprised but very excited,” Chaminade coach Jack Wilson said. “They’re good kids and good golfers.”

Francis Howell earned second place. Its fifth scorer shot a 77.

De Smet’s fifth scorer ended with a 79. The Spartans will be able to compete as a team at state because it qualified four individuals.

The Class 5 state tournament will be May 19-20 at Rivercut Golf Course in Springfield.

Packingham repeats

Despite his five-shot medalist victory, Packingham did not have a blazing start to his round.

“I three-putted No. 1,” said Packingham about the 392-yard par-4 hole. “I hit a 60-footer and left it 10 feet short and then missed that and then made the par.

“After that, I kind of settled down and hit some good shots. I relied on my process.”

Coach Toby Lindsay, the only coach Liberty has had since it opened in 2013, said Packingham changed “a couple of weeks ago” to a different putting grip.

“He was just on the front at No. 1 and it was on the fringe and he just got ate up a little bit,” Lindsay said. “He put it behind him. It just shows the kind of character he has.

“He rolled it well all day after that. He made it easy. He never gets too up or too down. He doesn’t get too emotional. We knew he would be just fine.”

His longest birdie putt was a 35-footer on No. 16.

“Once you see putts drop, you just want to make more,” Packingham said.

Last spring, Packingham won the District 2 title at Columbia Country Club with a 2-under 69. As a freshman, he tied for ninth place in the District 2 meet that was played at Forest Hills Country Club.

“Cole works so hard and puts so much into the game,” Lindsay said. “He’s such a good kid. You love to see hard work paying off. I was with him the entire day. He played unbelievably well. He was playing against some of the best in the state today.”

He came into the event with one ambition.

“Of course, my goal was to repeat,” Packingham said. “There’s a bunch of great players here today competing.”

Last year at state, Packingham finished fifth. As a freshman, he wound up 11th.

He will seek his third state medal with one more objective.

“I think the goal this time is to win,” Packingham said with a grin. “I’ll just try to put shots on the green and make putts.”

Lindsay is confident for Packingham.

“I like his chances and the way he’s hitting the ball,” Lindsay said.

Qualifiers to state

The cut for the district was 77.

Here are others individuals who will be going to state: CBC’s Harper Ackerman (71), Cole Hendrix (76) and Remy Tyrell (76); Liberty’s Dylan Handlan (74); Fort Zumwalt West’s Hunter Hering (77); Hickman’s Aaron Hrdina (75); Francis Howell North’s Bryan Renz (76); Rock Bridge’s John Swindle (74); and Troy Buchanan’s Oliver Wood (77).

Course

The Falls played to a par 71. It was set up at 6,100 yards. Participants played under sunny skies with temperatures in the upper 60s. It was a little windy.

“The conditions were great,” Packingham said. “The course was in great shape. It was windy but it was a great day to play.”

Firing eagles

Francis Howell’s Isaac Kelly, a 6-foot-4 junior, registered two eagles in shooting a 1-under 70. He was the district runner-up.

“I feel great about my round,” Kelly said. “Two eagles on the back nine really got me going. That was a good deal.”

Kelly’s first eagle came on No. 15, a par 5, 510-yard hole. He hit drive a little to the right but remained in the fairway. His 7-iron from 186 yards stopped 3 feet from the cup.

“I tapped it in for the eagle,” Kelly said. “That was a really big eagle there.”

His second eagle was on No. 18, a par-5 500-yard hole. Kelly hit a “pretty good” drive before pulling out his 4-iron. He landed on the green and was facing a 20-foot putt.

“I cashed it,” Kelly said. “That felt really good.”

He’s recorded several eagles this season.

“It helps being a longer hitter,” said Kelly. “It makes it a little easier coming into those par 5’s.”

Kelly was in a group that teed off first at 8 a.m. CBC’s Ackermann, Chaminade’s Eric Ewing and Packingham rounded out the foursome. Their round took about a little more than 4½ hours.

“It was a lot of fun competing with those guys,” Kelly said. “It makes you a lot better playing with guys like that. It makes you want it more.”

It will be Kelly’s first trip to the state tournament.

“I’m pretty excited to be going to state,” Kelly said. “I’ve been practicing really hard and working really hard for this. It means a lot.”

He has some goals for the state meet.

“I’d really like to medal,” Kelly said. “I know I have the game for it. That would be really awesome. A round like today gives me confidence.”

Red Devils back to state

Not counting the 2020 season when the COVID-19 pandemic did not allow for the tournament to be played, Chaminade will playing in the state meet for its 10th consecutive season.

It’s been a successful decade for Chaminade.

Under Wilson’s guidance, the Red Devils have won the last two Class 5 championships by one stroke apiece. In 2024 the Red Devils defeated Marquette with a team score of 587. In 2023, Chaminade had a team score of 594 to top Rockhurst. In 2021, Chaminade earned the state title with a 10-stroke victory and a team score of 590. The Red Devils were sixth in 2022.

Overall, Chaminade has seven state championships to go along with six second-place finishes. The Red Devils have finished in the top four 18 times.

This year’s team is Wilson’s youngster ever. Freshman John DeLuca led the way with a 71. Ewing, a junior, shot a 74. Freshmen Daniel Marquitz and Henry Gorin each shot 75. Sophomore Caden Fehr finished with a 76.

“They all play in a lot of tournaments in the summer and that helps a lot coming into this type of thing,” Wilson said. “Each year is exciting because it’s different kids.”

Wilson said there is no pressure on his team heading into the state meet.

“They’re all aware of our tradition,” Wilson said. “The pressure they put is on themselves. There are a lot of very good teams going to be competing at state. If we do repeat, it will be an accomplishment.”

Vikings take five to state

Francis Howell qualified all five Vikings for the state tournament. It’s the first time that’s happened since 2013.

“I’m ecstatic,” Vikings coach Carl Wayne said. “This district is a loaded district. To come out and do what we did is a really special thing. It’s hard to make it out as a team. It’s an awesome thing for these kids to get to experience.”

Last year, Francis Howell sent four players to state to be able to compete as a team and finished seventh.

“The goal this year is to compete for a state championship,” Wayne said. “We’ve got the guys. We’re confident in who we are.”

Nicklaus Halterman fired a 73. Kolton Kijanko shot 75. Cohen Vierling and Ethan Mottert each shot 77.

“Cohen hit a chip shot on his third shot and hit the pin and it rimmed out,” Wayne said about his shots on No. 18. “He made a 7-footer for birdie. Ethan was in the trees and he punched out to about 75 yards. He two putted for par. Every shot counts.”

De Smet sends four

The Spartans advanced four players to state — Kellen Conroy (72), Augie Eisenbeis (73), Ben Hollman (75) and Keegan Reed (75) — and thus qualified to compete as a team.