St. Marys’ Kenzie Armstrong hits an approach shot on the ninth hole during the 5th annual WVSSAC Girls’ State Golf Championship on Tuesday at Mingo Bottom Golf Club in Elizabeth, W.Va. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)
ELIZABETH, W.Va. Although the WVSSAC Girls State Golf Invitational Championship is only in its fifth season, Hurricane’s Savannah Hawkins now owns the best all-time round in the event.
The junior Redskin, who was this year’s WVGA Junior Amateur champ, fired a career low round of 4-under par 68 here Tuesday at Mingo Bottom Golf Club to edge two-time victor Taylor Sargent of Cabell Midland and her 2-under 70.
“I didn’t expect to even get a first one so to get a third I thought that would be the cherry on top,” admitted Sargent, who won the crown as a freshman and a junior and was joined on the all-tournament team by Westside’s Kerri Anne Cook (76), Parkersburg’s Brielle Milhoan (78), Roane County’s Emerson Simons (81), Wayne’s Aly Wellman ( 83), Ripley’s Avery Fife (84) and Petersburg’s Samantha Colaw (85).
Hawkins suffered a double bogey on the par-4 fourth but managed to get it back to 1-under at the turn. Sargent, who was also 1-under through nine, made bogey on the par-3 10th while Hawkins made par to take the lead for good.
The Redskin made birdies on the par-5 11th, par-5 14th and the short par-4 15th to finish with a two stroke advantage.
“I hit it in the hazard and I took a drop, laid up and made double,” Hawkins admitted of the fourth hole. “That was not my ideal start. I’d rather do that on number four than number 16. I was glad it came early. We talk about there’s always chaos in every golf round. That was my chaos. We got through with just a double and I finished pretty solid after that.”
Hawkins was able to get it back to 1-over par thanks to a birdie on five.
“That was definitely big. I knew the match was going to be tight the whole day,” Hawkins added. “I wasn’t trying to think about score too much, but the next hole I birdied and I was like there’s one back.”
Hawkins made the all-tournament team for a third straight season.
“There’s always a few putts out there,” Hawkins added too many leaving strokes on the course. “I hit it close on nine and missed the putt and maybe one or two more holes where I hit it within birdie range. A couple putts could’ve fallen in, but overall I’m pleased with 68.”
“It was my last year with Taylor and Emerson and I’m going to miss them so much. Me and Taylor have known each other since we were 9 and have played in tournaments together. We’ve played together since we learned to play golf. I had a lot of fun and it was a great match today. I’m going to miss them a lot.”
Sargent, who is hoping to get a few more scholarship offers, missed about a 5-footer on the par-3 16th, which would have gotten her within two strokes of Hawkins.
“I just knew I wanted to go out there and play my best and if I lost that way it just wasn’t my day,” admitted the Knight. “I played my best. Savannah played great. It was fun to watch. To me that’s the best way to lose. She’s a good friend. It’s her first time winning. She shot so well. If you are going to lose that’s the way I prefer to lose.
“I tried to do it one shot at a time. I can’t complain about 2-under and second place. It’s a little bittersweet being my last year, but I’m ready to move on. There’s nothing I can complain about. I just try to think about the good things. You have to let it go. It’s the best I’ve ever shot out here and the best I’ve shot in a tournament. It was just a great day.”
The Big Red Milhoan was more than content with her 78 and placing fourth. Cook made her final birdie on No. 17 when she almost holed out for eagle and had a tap-in birdie.
“Today I was really proud of myself,” Milhoan said. “I figured Savannah, Taylor and Kerri were all going to score under par. I told myself fourth was the lowest I wanted to be and if I got fourth I was going to be happy.
“But if I got third, second I would go home and party. I’m extremely happy with how I played today. I thought it was a great day. The weather was nice and it was supposed to be awful.”
Fife, who joined Sargent, Simons, Winfield’s Maddie Erwin (T12, 91), Williamstown’s Maggie Siley (T18, 99), Parkersburg’s Anna Earl (21st, 100) and fellow Viking Madison Stellato (38th, 118) as four-year participants, was happy to end her senior season on the all-tournament team.
“I think I played pretty well. There were a few holes definitely I could’ve improved on,” Fife said. “It’s kind of crazy. My freshman year I shot a 127 so going from that to an 84 is pretty crazy.
“I’m glad that I made that big of an improvement. It was a goal. Last year I shot a 90. I’ve always cut strokes every year.”
Narrowly missing all-tournament honors was St. Marys’ Kenzie Armstrong, whose 87 tied her for ninth with Chapmanville’s Andi Bledsoe and Morgantown’s Grace Yan.
Also finishing inside the top 20 from the area was Parkersburg South’s Olivia Foley, whose 93 put her alone in 14th.
Contact Jay Bennett at [email protected]
.