HOPKINSVILLE – Daviess County advanced as a team and Claire Reynolds tied with two others for a low score of 76 in the first round of the KHSAA girls golf tournament.
The event took place on a sunny and windy Tuesday at the Hopkinsville Country Club.
Reynolds’ 76 is tied with Cumberland County’s Kenzie Willen and Ballard Memorial’s Madison Glisson at 5 over par.
Daviess County shot a 331 to lead team qualifying for the KHSAA Girls State Golf Tournament late next week at Bowling Green Country Club.
Two other first-round sites also pointed players toward the state tournament at BG.
DC’s score was eight shots higher than South Warren (339), which also qualified for the state tournament with West Jessamine (346).
Baylie Billingsley and Alexa Salamah each shot 84 for Daviess County. Briley Billingsley shot 87 to also score for DC. Macy Roberts was DC’s fifth-ranked golfer (109).
Last year, Daviess County had to wait until the afternoon to advance to Bowling Green as the third team in the first round.
“It’s great to not have to sit there and sweat to get to third place,” said Daviess County associate head coach Brandon Reynolds. “It’s a good feeling. I have the impression that their state of mind was good. They know this place is difficult. From tee to green it’s not difficult, but once on the green it’s difficult. They know one shot at a time, if you have a bad hole, keep rolling.
As for Claire Reynolds’ day?
“Except on the green at 17 and 18, she played fantastic,” Brandon said. “It’s golf, first round of state, she probably had some nerves.”
Claire Reynolds’ tough bets on the final two holes added two or three strokes to what could have been her low individual score.
“I started really well today, but I had a few tough moments on the last two holes, but I was also lucky today,” Claire said. “I thought the team did really well. It was cool to beat Marshall County, they usually win everything.
“Alexa and I were kind of in the same boat,” Bailey Billingsley said. “I started well, on my back, on the last two holes my putting hurt them. But we won as a team.
The difficult pin placements on the back nine were a topic of conversation among golfers, the wind picked up on their backs and also made the greens faster.
“The course was very tough, we left some shots,” DC coach Jonas Billingsley said. “They all kept their heads straight. Overall, I’m proud of them. Claire came in very strong today. She played really well this year. I’m proud of Alexa and Bailey. Briley didn’t have her best stuff, but I’m extremely proud of her for sticking it out and bringing in an 87.
“This course is not easy, the greens are super fast. It was windy later in the afternoon. We shot the front at 15, the back at 30. I guess the average score today on 14 (across the entire field) was close to a triple bogey, and we shot 4 over in team.
No individual from the area is qualified to move on to Bowling Green.
Adelynn Moorman of Breckinridge County shot 87. Maggie Graves of Ohio County shot 88. Hannah Robbins of Owensboro Catholic shot 91. Maggie Blair of Breckinridge County shot 94. Briar Vender of L County Ohio shot 95. Gracie Galyen of Muhlenberg County shot 100.
