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GIRLS STATE GOLF: Carthage’s Hailey Bryant relaxed and ready for rare fourth trip to state

Posted on by Lucas Davis

It is a rare feat to make four appearances at the state tournament, but that is exactly what Carthage senior Hailey Bryant is doing when she gets her opening round underway on Monday morning at the 2021 Class 3 girls golf state tournament at Meadow Lake Acres Country Club.

“I am very excited,” Bryant said. “Heading to the state tournament my freshman year, I was so nervous and I felt all of this pressure. Now, I just feel very excited and ready to go.

Carthage senior Hailey Bryant will play in the fourth girls state golf tournament of her career starting Monday morning at Meadow Lake Acres Country Club. Bryant won multiple events this season, including the Central Ozark Conference Championship, and never finished lower than third place during in a regular season tournament. Photo by Israel Perez.

“It is setting in a little now that this is my senior season and my high school golf career is almost over. I know, especially on that second day, it is going to hit me those last few holes. This is where I need to show all of my abilities as much as I can.”

Of course, with this being her fourth time taking part in the state tournament, including an eighth-overall finish a year ago, Bryant has picked up some wisdom along the way. Not only does she feel her game is ready to go for the two-day tournament, her mindset is in the right place as well.

“I think (the last three state tournaments) have shown me that it’s just an end-of-the-year tournament,” Bryant said with a smile. “There is no pressure. I am just here to show I can play and put up a score that I can be proud of. … Obviously, when I first get there, I will probably be nervous. My mindset right now is very relaxed.” 

Bryant has good reason to be confident heading into the state tournament, particularly when you look at the results she posted in her final year as a Tiger. Bryant won the Papa John’s Classic as well as the Carl Junction Invitational, while taking second in the Seneca Invitational, eCarthage Invitational and Nevada Tigers Invitational. Bryant also added a third-place finish in the Joplin Invitational before going on to take first place in the Central Ozark Conference Championship with a 42-41—83.

In fact, the only time Bryant didn’t finish third or better this season was the Class 3 District 3 meet, where she finished fifth overall to earn all-district honors and punch her ticket to the state meet.

“Throughout the season, all of the tournaments have helped shape my mindset,” Bryant said. “They just show you that even at a big tournament like this, I might go out and hit a couple of bad shots but I can still put up a really good score at any time. It is very simple. It’s golf. It might not always be consistent, but you can get through it if you just keep a positive mindset.”

And while Bryant has grown accustomed to the grind of the two-day tournament, she won’t be alone on the course in her final run as a Tiger.  Fellow Carthage golfer Ava Lacey also qualified for the state tournament, and Bryant is grouped up with a friendly face for her 8:48 a.m. tee time on Monday—Webb City golfer Laya McAllister, one of three Cardinals who qualified for the state tournament, with Grain Valley’s Mallory Crane filling out the threesome.

“I am playing with (Laya) from Webb, and I am really good friends with her and we have played together since my freshman year. I could not be more excited,” Bryant said. “I love that about golf. I feel like the girls I have met understand this sport in a way a lot of teenage girls do not. 

Carthage senior Hailey Bryant works on her putting during practice on the Thursday leading up to the Class 3 girls state golf championship. Photo by Israel Perez.

“And I love knowing that there is a sophomore from our team going, too. That is fantastic. Knowing after I graduate that our team will have someone coming back with state experience, I love that for them. I am excited to see all of them there and it will make the experience so much more fun.”

Webb City’s Sydney French and Sophia Coulson are also participating in the Class 3 state tournament. 

OTHER AREA GOLFERS TAKING PART IN STATE

Nevada freshman Emree Cameron finished in first place individually as the Tigers finished in second place as a team at the Class 2 District 3 tournament at Cassville Golf Club to qualify for the Class 2 state tournament, which will be held Oct. 18-19 at the Columbia Country Club.  

Cameron scored a 6-over-par 78 to claim the district championship by two strokes, which was Cameron’s fifth individual tournament championship this season. Nevada’s Paige Hertzberg, Katie Pennington and Riley Severance will join Cameron.

Cassville’s Avery Chappell and Alyzea Myers will also play in the state tournament, as will Monett’s Claire Nation and Seneca’s Britany Adcock and Madison Babbitt.

 

GOLF: McDonald County’s Allman takes 3rd, Carthage’s Bryant 8th to highlight Class 3 state tournament play

Posted on by Lucas Davis

McDonald County senior Lily Allman closed out her career with a third-place finish, while Carthage junior Hailey Bryant finished eighth overall to give the area a pair of all-state performers in the Missouri Class 3 girls state golf tournament at Twin Hills Golf and Country Club on Tuesday. 

Smith-Cotton’s Kiser Pannier won the individual championship with an 84-75—159, while Rockwood Summit’s Katherine Schreiner took second with an 82-79—161. Rockwood Summit (340-335—675) won the team title by more than 40 strokes over St. Teresa’s Academy (364-352—716).

ALLMAN’S FINAL RUN AT STATE WITH THE MUSTANGS

Carthage’s Hailey Bryant (left) and McDonald County’s Lily Allman (right) pose with state medals following the conclusion of the Class 3 state tournament on Tuesday. Photo by Peter Edwards.

After starting her career on the McDonald County boys golf team as a freshman, Allman was the leading force in getting a girls team started for the Mustangs by her sophomore season, when she qualified for the state tournament for the first time. Following a finish of 31st a year ago as a junior, Allman’s early-season aspirations for an all-state finish were easily surpassed after posting a 38-44 in the second round on the way to an 81-82—163 to finish in a three-way tie for third place with Rockwood Summit’s Danika Stilwell (85-78—163) and Ladue’s Grace Claney (80-83—163). 

“All-state was my goal, and I definitely did that,” Allman said with a smile. “After the standings yesterday, I knew it was possible to win a state title. Obviously, that is not how God planned it to be, that’s how I see it, and I know He has bigger plans. That is what is most important. I did what I could, and I did my best.

“It meant a lot to be a part of this (McDonald County girls golf) team. To be able to be on the first team and to help grow the team means a lot. Hopefully, we can get more girls interested, keep playing and then maybe someday I’ll be back to coach the team. … It’s been really fun and I am just happy to be a part of it.”

Allman entered the final round in third place after carding a 42-39—81 on Monday, opening with a birdie on the par-4 first hole. She followed up with a double-bogey on the second hole and a bogey on the third for an uneven two-over start after three holes of the second round.

“I birdied the first hole, and that really gave me some confidence,” Allman said. “Then, I double-bogeyed the second, so I was not consistent. … My putting stroke was good on the first hole, and then I felt like it wasn’t as strong on the next couple of holes. I kind of got down on myself, but my coach (Darryl Harbaugh) just told me to be patient and my stroke would come.”

McDonald County’s Lily Allman follows through with hopes of finding the green during the final round of the Class 3 state golf tournament at Twin Hills golf and Country Club on Tuesday. Photo by Peter Edwards.

Allman, who played at the top of the leaderboard for a long stretch of holes, found her consistency and strung four pars together before writing down a birdie two on the par-3 eighth hole. She finished the front nine with a bogey to sit at two over par.

“I got confident after making those few pars, and then you kind of get a fire inside you when you make birdie,” Allman said. “You think, ‘this is possible,’ and I knew I could do it. … Every hole wasn’t exactly what I wanted to be, but that’s golf. … I was very proud of the way I played that front nine.” 

Allman had three pars separated by a double-bogey and a bogey before a double-bogey on 15 and a triple on 16 after playing out of trees off the tee following wayward tee shots. 

She bounced back strong, with pars on 17 and 18 to finish out her high school career with the Mustangs.

“I told myself these are my last two holes of high school golf,” Allman said. “I just wanted to try to relax and have fun because you don’t want to put too much pressure on yourself. At that point, my coach told me he was really proud of me no matter what happened. That made me relax to go out there and finish well.”

“I was honestly just blessed to be in that moment,” Allman said about walking down the 18th fairway. “Not very many people get to do that. I just took it for what it was worth, and I was proud of how it was going at that point.”

BRYANT FINISHES INSIDE THE TOP 10

As a junior, Bryant has had plenty of experience already at the state tournament with appearances in both her freshman and sophomore seasons. After carding an 87 on the first day to finish in a tie for 10th — a result she was not satisfied with — Bryant drew on that past experience to close with a stronger second-day performance of 37-45—82 to earn an all-state eighth-place finish.

“I was a little bit more relaxed today than yesterday,” Bryant said. “Yesterday it was ‘Oh, it’s the first day of state.’ Today, it was go-time and I needed to get where I wanted to be. I did a lot more of what I knew I could do.”

“It helped to relax me a little bit, honestly,” Bryant continued on how her experiences at the state level helped her on Tuesday. “I just kind of knew everyone was in the same boat as me. I wasn’t alone struggling like I used to think I was.”

Carthages Hailey Bryant tees off on the 18th hole during the second round of the Class 3 state tournament on Tuesday. Photo by Peter Edwards.

Bryant started her front nine with a birdie three on the first hole, giving her all the confidence she needed. She followed with a bogey and a double-bogey before a par on the fourth hole led to a fantastic finish to the turn. Bryant dropped a stroke with a birdie two on the fifth hole to get to one over, and finished her front nine with four straight pars.

“Yesterday, I double-bogeyed the first hole,” Bryant said with a laugh. “Today, after the birdie, I was a little excited. … I had some holes that were a little rocky, but after the way I finished out, I just kept saying today is the day. I was playing like I knew I could.

“My putting today was a lot better than it was yesterday. I really saved myself on some of those pars that I needed when I had to get up and down. My ball striking was just very flush. It was going where I wanted it to, following the line I wanted it to and covering back.”

Bryant continued her state tournament with a par on the 10th before going eight over par over the next five holes. She closed out her third state tournament with a par on 16, a bogey on 17 and a par on 18.

“That felt great,” Bryant said with a smile when asked about her top-10 finish. “That was one of my goals, to keep moving up. My freshman year, I started real far behind. Last year, I was right in the middle, and this year, a top 10. I am really proud of myself for accomplishing that.”

While she was still soaking in her best finish yet at the state level, Bryant was already thinking about how she was going to use this performance to prepare for another state run as a senior in 2021.

“I love this tournament,” Bryant said. “Since I was a freshman, I have wanted to come to this tournament every single year. That was my goal. I am three quarters of the way there, so it’s a big deal to me. 

“I am not ready for this season to end. I am ready to keep going and just keep working at it because I want to get up to one of those top spots next year. It really is just going to push me.”

OTHER AREA CLASS 3 SCORES

Carthage’s Riley Scott carded a 52-47—99 to follow up her 92 in the opening round to finish in a tie for 34th with a score of 191.

Carthage’s Caitlin Derryberry shot a 50-51—101 in the second round and finished with a 115-101—216 to finish in 59th.

Webb City’s Sydney French had a second-round 53-52—105 to finish with a 217 two-day total, placing in a tie for 60th. 

Also for the Cardinals, Sarah Oathout scored a 59-54—113 and finished with a 249 tournament to finish in 70th.

CLASS 2 STATE TOURNAMENT

CLINTON, Mo. — Playing the final round at Meadow Lake Acres Country Club, Cassville’s Chloe Moller followed up her 122 with a 61-52—113 to finish 68th with a 235.

Carl Junction’s Rylee Sprague opened her final round with a birdie on the way to shooting a 57-63—120 to finish in 69th with a 238.

Nevada’s Kate Pennington (62-61—123) scored a 241 to finish in 70th, while Riley Severance (66-56—122) totaled a 254 to place 71st.

Carl Junction’s Anna Burch (66-64—13) totaled a 264 to place in a tie for 74th with Nevada’s Paige Hertzberg (67-66—13) to round out the local scoring.

GOLF: McDonald County’s Allman in third, with Carthage’s Bryant in a tie for 10th after first day of Class 3 state tournament

Posted on by Lucas Davis

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.

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