South Warren edges Lexington Christian and Sacred Heart for second place at the Leachman Buick GMC Cadillac Girls’ State Golf Tournament
By Perry Swack – SPORTING TIMES
On the final hole of the Leachman Buick GMC Cadillac state golf tournament, South Warren found itself needing a par to edge out Lexington Christian and Sacred Heart for second place. As fate would have it, the Lady Spartans had a six-time veteran of the state tournament on the 18th hole. But she was in a little trouble off the tee and in the right rough. “You definitely don’t want to miss right on this hole,” South senior Faith Martin told the Sporting Times. “It was a really tough lie. I was on an uphill slope, and it was buried in the rough. I had to get up and over the sand, while still keeping the shot low and under the tree.” She managed to successfully navigate the seemingly unsalvageable lie to give herself a chance at a par. At the time, she didn’t know she needed to make par. After explaining the situation to Martin, Coach Eric Holeman told her “no pressure”. In a post-round interview with the Sporting Times, Martin got a good laugh about her conversation with Holeman. However, in the moment she had to buckle down and make the putt. “I just tried to zone everything out and focus solely on the putt”. Focus she did, knocking in the putt and giving the Lady Spartans a solo second place finish for a second-consecutive year. Martin’s par saver also propelled her out of four-way tie for sixth place individually and into sixth by herself. Her two-day total of 151 (+7) was six shots behind the leaders.
2020 3rd Region champion and Lady Spartan teammate McKenna Stahl finished tied for 13th place after a two-day total of 157 (+13), while 2018 region champion Abbie Lee of Glasgow turned in round of 76 and 77 (153) to finish tied for tenth place at +9. Greenwood junior Emma Harmon finished solo-15th after a two-day total of 156 (+12). Glasgow junior Nina McMurtrey finished T21 at 159 (+15).
Marshall County ran away with the team title after posting a two-day total of 619 (+43). It was 39 shots ahead of South Warren’s 658. Lexington Christian and Sacred Heart tied for third place at 659, while Cooper rounded out the top five at 678.
As for the individual title, Apollo junior Macey Brown defeated Madison Central sophomore Elizabeth Eberle on the first playoff hole after both players finished 1-over par for the tournament. Eberle entered the final day one clear of Brown, but a 75 on day two – coupled with a 74 for Brown – pitted the two in a playoff. Bullitt East sophomore Macie Brown soared from seven strokes behind to finish third after a final round 70. Marshall County seventh-grader Trinity Beth (+5) and teammate Savannah Howell (+6) rounded out the top 5.
While the tournament’s top five players will have the chance to return in 2021, the 3rd Region graduates sixth of its top ten finishers from the region tournament this year. The big losses are Martin, Lee, and Stahl, who each won a region title between 2018-20. Players like Glasgow’s McMurtrey, Greenwood’s Harmon, and South Warren 8th grader Sydney McClanahan (third place at region this year) will look to carry the mantle in 2021.
Other area players who made the cut at the state tournament include McClanahan (T61), Russell County’s McKenzie Trautman (T48), Barren County’s Bree Russell (T55), South’s Ainslee Cruce (T67) and Callie Spires (T80). Barren County’s Bailey Birdsell & Taylor Gaunce, along with Bowling Green’s Raegan Richardson competed but missed the cut.
