CABOT -- A foreboding forecast doesn't augur well for today's 7A state boys golf tournament.

Rain threatens to interrupt today's tournament at Greystone Country Club in Cabot, causing a possible delay to the 9 a.m. start and suspensions of play later in the day.

"The weather could be a factor," said Kyle Adams, Fayetteville High golf coach, on Monday. "There could be lots of delays, which makes it hard. It's difficult to stop and get started again. If there's lightning, we can't get out there. Hopefully, none of that comes true, but looking at the radar and the forecast it doesn't look good."

The Bulldogs, last year's 7A state runner-up, will rely on the same lineup that finished second in the 7A-West Conference Tournament last month at Stonebridge Meadows Golf Club. Senior Blake Bearden will play in the No. 1 position, followed by junior Eli Mattioli, senior Tripp Shields and juniors Clayton Spencer and Christian Mills.

Bearden (79), Mattioli (76) and Shields (82) shot low enough at Stonebridge to earn all-conference honors. Mattioli has played well in the two previous state tournaments, making the all-state team as a freshman and sophomore. His first all-state nod came at Greystone, site of the 2006 state tournament.

Defending state champion Rogers will be one of the favorites today. It won the 7A-West Conference Tournament by 26 shots, with all five its players breaking 80.

Playing on their home course today, Cabot has the advantage of local knowledge. The Panthers didn't qualify as a team for last year's state tournament but sent five individual qualifiers to the Highlands Course in Bella Vista. Those players posted the lowest four-score aggregate but were ineligible for the team championship.

"They returned everybody off that team," Adams said. "Being on their home course should benefit them quite a bit."

Little Rock Central and Conway are two other formidable teams from the 7A-Central Conference. Adams said Fayetteville needs an aggregate score of around 300 to contend for its first state title since 2004.

"All those teams should shoot right around 300," he said. "We're capable of that. We just have to put it together in one day."

Adams said putting will likely determine the winner. The Cypress Creek Course features large greens, making lag putting integral to low scores.

The open layout demands more precision on approach shots than tee shots, as the large greens offer numerous positions to tuck pins behind hazards and bunkers.

"This is a course you have to be patient on," Adams said. "There's some really tough pin placements, so you have to take your shots when you get them."

Adams said Mattioli and Shields have the length to reach Cypress Creek's par 5s in two shots and set up short approaches to the par 4s. The other players have to plot a more cautious route around the course.

"The other guys play position golf, trying to hit it in the right spot," Adams said. "It's going

"A lot depends on the weather. If the wind blows and it rains, this can be a really difficult golf course."