After a season filled with sunshine and warm weather, Mother Nature was quite fickle to the participants on the first day of the Missouri Class 3 girls state golf tournament on Monday at Twin Hills Golf and Country Club.
The prep athletes woke up to wet, windy conditions with brittle temperatures in the low to mid 40s, which forced a lot of golfers to adjust on the fly as they chased the ultimate prize—a state title.
Following the completion of the first round, Rockwood Summit’s Isabelle Thrall and Ladue Horton’s Grace Claney sit atop the individual leaderboard after both golfers scored an 8-over-par 80.
Sitting just one stroke off the lead and all alone in third place is McDonald County senior Lily Allman after she posted a 42-39—81.
“It’s totally different from what we’ve played all year,” Allman said of the weather on Monday. “That is what state is like every year, so it’s kind of hard. It has its challenges, but you just have to realize everyone is playing in the same conditions and just do the best that you can.”
“I think it got colder as we went, to be honest with you,” Allman continued with a laugh. “The rain just soaks in and it gets colder. I am always cold, so I was definitely layered up today, which is weird, too, because I usually just play in my polo during the season. I hope tomorrow is better, and I think it’s supposed to be.”
Allman opened with four pars in the first six holes before finishing four over on the final three holes to head into the turn with a 42. Allman had four pars and four bogeys on the back, and added a birdie on the par-5 15th hole.
“I think I started pretty solid,” Allman said of her round. “I did not finish very well on the front nine. I putted pretty well today, with the exception of a few holes, but my iron game wasn’t the best. I hit my drives pretty decent on a few holes, but I was definitely proud of my putting stroke today, and it helped me in some areas.”
After slightly cutting her drive down the middle of the fairway on hole 15, Allman hit a 5-hybrid to leave her with 75 yards to the green for her third shot. She stuck a wedge within eight feet of the pin, sinking her left-to-right putt to finish the hole under par.
Any time you are battling less-than-ideal playing conditions, finding a birdie on the scorecard can be a tremendous confidence boost, particularly when it comes near the end of a round leading into the second day of action.
“When I got that birdie, I was back to one over par on the back nine,” Allman said. “That definitely gave me confidence moving forward.”
“I just want to take it one shot a time,” Allman continued about her plan for the second day of the state tournament. “I really feel like I get ahead of myself a lot, and I think that hurts me in some areas. I need to try to not overthink it and just go out and hit the ball.”
Allman is scheduled to tee off in the final group of the second round on the first hole at 10:09 a.m.
BRYANT TIED FOR 10TH TO LEAD CARTHAGE, WEBB CITY GOLFERS
Sitting in a two-way tie for 10th place after the first day of action is Carthage junior Hailey Bryant, who carded a 43-44—87 on the opening day of the state tournament.
“It was not my best (round),” Bryant said when assessing her play. “I am not very happy with it, but I have a whole other day tomorrow to improve. The conditions today didn’t allow me to do some things I wish I could have. I am just ready to get going tomorrow.”
Bryant had four pars on the front nine, three bogeys and two double bogeys. On the back, Bryant finished with two pars, six bogeys and one double.
“It was just a lot of scrambling today,” Bryant said. “Even though some of the holes in the middle weren’t as good as they would be normally, with the conditions of the wind and the rain, it wasn’t that bad. ”
Bryant finishes up her state tournament with a second-round 9:42 a.m. tee time on the first hole.
“I am ready to play like I know I can,” Bryant said. “I am ready to get out there and swing, shed some layers and hopefully not have to worry too much about the wind. I don’t think it will be as bad tomorrow, so I am just ready to go out there and play like I know I can.”
Also in action on the first day for Carthage were senior Rylee Scott and junior Caitlin Derryberry. Scott is in a four-way tie for 20th after carding a 48-44—92. She had two pars, three bogeys and four double bogeys on the front nine, while posting four pars on the back along with two bogeys and three doubles.
Derryberry is in 66th place with a first-day score of 57-58—115. She finished with two bogeys and seven double bogeys on the front to go along with one par, three bogeys and five double bogeys on the back.
For Webb City, junior Sydney French is in a three-way tie for 62nd. She posted a first-round score of 55-57—112. French had four bogeys and five double bogeys on the front nine, while recording three bogeys and six doubles on the back.
Webb City senior Sarah Oathout shot a 67-69—136 on the first day and sits in 72nd.
CLASS 2 STATE TOURNAMENT
Several local golfers participated in the opening round of the Missouri Class 2 state tournament at Meadow Lake Acres Country Club in Clinton, Missouri.
Nevada’s Kate Pennington is in a three-way tie for 65th place with Carl Junction’s Rylee Sprague and Odessa’s Sydney Stevens. Pennington carded an opening-round score of 59-59—118, while Sprague shot a 58-60—118.
Cassville’s Chloe Moller is in 68th with a 67-55—122, while Nevada’s Paige Hertzberg (67-64—131) is in 73rd. Nevada’s Riley Severance (64-68—132) is in 74th, and Carl Junction’s Anna Burch (62-72—134) is in 75th.
