BRYANT -- Cabot and Fayetteville emerged as champions of their respective conferences Tuesday, but the big prize -- the Class 6A boys state golf tournament trophy -- is very much up for grabs today at Hurricane Golf and Country Club.
Cabot (6A-Central) edged Little Rock Catholic by two strokes, and Fayetteville (6A-West) beat Rogers by one stroke to win the conference titles.
Two-time defending state champion Bentonville lurks just behind the top four.
"It'll be a great day," Little Rock Catholic golfer Andrew Payne said. "It'll be a great competition."
Payne, who shot a 2-under 70, is tied for individual medalist honors with Bentonville senior Jake Bartlett.
Rogers' Tyler Brown is one shot behind the top two, with Cabot's Easton Denney and Fayetteville's Connor Goens four shots back.
The closeness of the top three individuals mirrors the team competition.
"One team's going to play really well," said Cabot Coach Matt Malham, whose team enters today with a 1-shot advantage over Fayetteville and a two-shot edge over Catholic and Rogers. "Somebody's going to go get it. With four teams. ... That many teams, that many golfers, somebody's going to step up and get it."
Fayetteville Coach Scott Williams said winning the 6A-West conference plaque is nice.
"Conference is good," Williams said. "It's kind of like the golden ticket is the state championship. When it's this close, like this, it's anybody's ballgame. Who wants to get it the most?"
Williams said when the competition is this tight, it's not the top three players who normally make the difference.
"Those guys are going to score their average," Williams said. "You need the [players in the] 4-5 [positions] to do some special things."
Bartlett, a senior competing in his first state tournament for Bentonville, kept the Tigers in the hunt for the team title after the team's top four scorers from last year graduated.
"Our team was really good," said Bartlett, explaining how he has gone from the team's sixth man to be the top man.
"I knew he would probably be our best golfer this year," Bentonville Coach Kent Early said. "Did I think he'd shoot a 2-under? I didn't count on that."
Bartlett, who is 3-4 inches taller than he was one year ago, said hitting it longer is helpful but is not the only recipe to success at this course, which is playing at 6,209 yards.
"You've got to know when you can hit driver," Bartlett said. "It's an advantage and disadvantage."
Fayetteville's Williams said he doesn't mind watching the top players from the other teams battle it out for medalist honors.
"They can take the individual medalist and give it to whoever earns that," Williams said. "I'll be satisfied with the big trophy and take it back to Northwest Arkansas."
Rogers, which finished one stroke behind Fayetteville in the 6A-West, is two shots behind Cabot.
"We love our spot," Alexander said. "Anybody's game tomorrow. Anybody."
Catholic would be the team to beat if not for a scorecard snafu that cost the Rockets seven strokes.
But that's OK, Payne said.
"We're actually glad we're behind, so we can work hard and win [today]," Payne said. "Instead of being ahead and kind of ease up on it."