The final week of the 2008 golf season begins Monday and it's no surprise that Wise County will be a part of it.

Chico's Blake Moss and Bridgeport's Candace Brister will be in Austin Monday competing for the big prize - a state championship.

Both standout putters took different routes to reach the biggest tournament of the year.

However, both hope they take the road to the gold when championship week ends on Friday at Austin's Roy Kizer Golf Course.

Moss is the area's biggest surprise. The junior broke his arm and just returned a few weeks ago from an injury that kept him out nearly the entire season.

He broke his arm in January in a district basketball game.

Moss jumped to get a hand on a loose ball but was undercut by an opponent and hit the floor. He broke his left hand when he struck the floor.

The Dragon standout spent the next three months in a cast and a split.

He was released to start playing golf the week before the District 9-2A tournament.

Just like his state champion sister Kate who won the 2A title three years ago, he battled like a champion.

He fired rounds of 79 and 80 to finish third overall and earn his second trip to regionals.

Despite the pain in his left arm as a result of the injury, Moss continues to play at a higher level than most.

His second tournament of the season was the Class 2A, Region II tournament in Stephenville two weeks ago where he didn't disappoint.

Moss carded a 78 in the first round and was in sixth place after day one.

He stepped up like a champion on the final day to move up in the standings to secure his state trip with a round of 73 and a two-day total of 151.

The run on the final 18 holes was cinched when Moss sank a hole-in-one on the 11th hole. He used a 7-wood on the 185-yard par 3 to sink his first career ace.

The Chico all-state golfer will need another gutsy performance to finish among the elite at state Monday and Tuesday.

He believes he has just as good a chance to medal as anyone else.

"It's gong to be tough. I've never played on this course before," Moss admitted.

"I will have to shout in the 140s to keep up, and it's something I can do. I just have to play my best and hope my arm doesn't hurt too much."

Brister is new to the area but a veteran in the sport. She moved to Wise County last year when her dad took a job with Bridgeport ISD.

The senior putted for Haskell High School through last season.

Though she left behind friendships and a successful career at the 2A school, she has not missed a beat since moving to Class 3A ranks.

Brister is making her fourth straight trip to the state championships where she has competed at three levels.

She played in the 1A tournament twice, including her freshman year against Slidell's Gayl Gatlin, and last year in 2A.

She has lowered her score every year and is playing the best golf of her career this season.

The BHS standout fired a career-record 67, 4-under par, in the first round of the district golf tournament to easily win the title.

"I've only seen one other girl score that low and that was Lauren Espinoza who went on to play for the University of Arizona," said BHS coach Jim Caldwell after the tournament.

She did not manage that kind of score at regionals last week, but she played well enough once again to keep her season alive.

She was in sixth place after the first day but battled back to move into a first-place tie with Seminole's Samantha Soto in the final 18 holes.

Brister carded a 73 in both rounds to finish with a 146, which was her career-low regional score.

She lost the playoff for the outright title but is moving on to state this week as the second-place medalist.

The state championships for the Class 3A girls will be Thursday and Friday and that's when Brister plans to bring her successful high school career to a big finish.