Say this at least – Canby’s Connor Holden knows how to make an entrance.

Holden, a freshman on the Canby boys golf team, made his first state tournament one for the memory books, shooting a 2-under-par 144 to win the 36-hole, two-day tournament at the OGA Golf Course in Woodburn on Monday and Tuesday, May 19-20.

“I feel like I definitely left a few shots out there, but nonetheless, I’m happy with the outcome,” Holden said. “I felt fairly confident in my chances of placing high in the individual category, but I was still definitely nervous.”

Holden, the Northwest Oregon Conference runner-up, came back strong at state and led the Cougars to a fourth-place finish in the team standings at 647. The complete team scoring included: Corvallis 626, Summit 635, La Salle Prep 638, Canby 647, Wilsonville 655, Dallas 674, Thurston 685, Crater 695.

In addition to Holden’s success – he became the first Canby state champion in school history – sophomore Mason Debruyn took 25th at 164, senior Jack Thompson placed 28th at 166, junior Jordan Lopez finished 40th at 173, and junior Cohen Vandecoevering took 51st at 185.

“It felt like an accomplishment, knowing that it’s been about 10 years since Canby last made it to state as a team,” Holden said.

While Holden ended up winning by five strokes over Summit sophomore runner-up Bryden Ditty and his 4-over-par 149, he actually trailed by a shot after shooting a 74 in the first round of play. But Holden caught fire on Day Two, notched four birdies and shot a 2-under-par 70, while Ditty slipped back with a 4-over-par 76.

“The key to victory was staying consistent the whole week and staying calm in tense moments,” Holden added.