With just four golfers this week, the Lowry High School girls golf team remained in state tournament contention on one of the toughest courses in the state.
The Lady Bucks were at the Arnold Palmer designed Dayton Valley Country Club on Tuesday and placed third. Dayton, routinely hosts PGA Tour qualifying events.
Elko claimed the team title with a score of 417, but Spring Creek made it close at the top with a 427. It was the narrowest margin of victory for the Indians this year. Lowry carded a 459 and Fernley (478) and Churchill County (517) rounded out the top five. South Tahoe was sixth at 521 and Dayton finished seventh at 552.
The fight for the Player of the Year award continued as well. Lowry’s Tatyana Carlson gained the upper hand with low medalist honors with a round of 82. The junior was five strokes better than the field.
“I really do think this is where my game is,” Carlson said. “Shooting in the 80s or even the 90s is a great score for this course. For me, I really need to work on my approach shots to the green. But, other than that I am making good contact with the ball. I am also pretty proud of my team. We have been practicing and it’s starting to show what we have been striving for. This next week, we are going to be living at the golf course and working on what we need to improve on.”
Elko’s Annika Criss was second overall at 87 and Lowry’s Hannah Havens was third with a 99. The three were the only golfers to break 100 on the day.
“The biggest thing I’m working on this year is consistency,” Havens said. “Some days I can bomb my drive down the fairway and others end up in hazards. My short game is another thing I’m working hard on improving.”
Freshman Angelina played Dayton Valley Country Club for the first time and shot 118. She added that she welcomed the challenge.
“I thought Dayton was a tough course,” Martinez said. “The wind and water was a challenge but for the most part it was a fun course to play. I love having challenges to push me to do better.”
Fellow freshman Kaitlyn Hales rounded out the scores with a 160.
“My impression of Dayton was that it is hard course and lots of wate," Hales said. "The wind and hills were a challenge. Honestly, I hate that course.”
Elko, Spring Creek and Lowry comfortably hold the three qualifying spots for the state tournament to be played Oct. 18-19 in Pahrump.
The Northern 3A does not have a postseason tournament. The top three schools in the final regular season point standings advance to state.
Lowry is off until October. The Lady Bucks are tentatively set to host tournaments on Oct. 4-5 at Winnemucca Municipal Golf Course.
