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BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS
Sports Editor, RTC
WABASH — Even though she was the medalist at both the Kankakee Valley and Kokomo invitationals, Rochester junior golfer Olivia Bailey called her first two rounds of the season “iffy.”
There was little that was iffy about her round on the front nine at Honeywell Golf Course Wednesday in a three-way match against host Wabash and Northwestern.
Bailey shot a 1-under-par 35 to earn medalist honors and lead the Lady Zs, ranked No. 17 in this week’s coaches poll, to a win.
Rochester shot a 167, Wabash had a 202, and Northwestern had a 215.
Wabash, like Rochester, was a regional qualifier last year. Northwestern No. 1 player Berkley Wray was a regional qualifier as an individual last year, but Bailey beat her by 11 strokes.
“I feel pretty good, especially coming off some iffy rounds,” Bailey said. “The last two invites we played, I played well, but I just didn’t hit the ball that great, and I think tonight, I really struck the ball well and put myself in some good positions.”
Bailey said she kept a simple approach since her last competitive round four days earlier at Kokomo.
“Just the basics of my swing, just making sure I’m turning back and turning through and just swinging a smooth swing,” Bailey said.
Rochester also had the second and third lowest scores thanks to Ava Thomas’ 40 and Lexi Haughs’ 45. Molly Moore added a 47, and Laynie Migonis had a 53.
Rochester was coming off a school record 336 at the Kokomo Invitational at Kokomo Country Club Saturday. They finished third out of eight teams.
Still, coach Chad Thomas said the team has not peaked.
“Nobody except for Lexi shooting her career best at Kokomo with an 89 – first time breaking 90 in a tournament round – we haven’t all clicked yet, which is the most exciting thing,” coach Thomas said. “Even at Kokomo, when we shot our school-record round, we weren’t all clicking. It didn’t feel like a school-record round to me because I know what they’re capable of, even Olivia with her 77. We’re capable of a lot more. And we’ll get it. We’ll get one where we get everyone on the right page and clicking, and it will be real fun then.”
Bailey birdied both par-5s – Nos. 2 and 8 – and added six pars and a bogey on No. 9. Coach Thomas was asked about Bailey’s mindset going into the round.
“She seemed focused and relaxed,” he said. “I know Olivia, when she had the two tournaments, she had a stretch there where she wasn’t hitting it as well as she wanted, and it kind of got her down a bit, but she still finished well and won both of them, so that’s a good sign.”
Haughs added a birdie on No. 9, a par-4.
There is only one water hazard on the front nine at Honeywell and a few strategically placed bunkers. Also, the second cut of rough was not very deep. But the course was tough once a player got on the green.
“There’s a few holes with some doglegs (where) you’ve got to be smart,” coach Thomas said. “The main thing here is the greens. They have got some greens that have got some pretty good undulation and can be very difficult chipping-wise and putting-wise, and if you're not used to it and knowing how the balls are going to run out, it can bite you.”
Rochester will travel to Stonehenge Golf Club in Winona Lake for a nine-hole match with Triton and host Warsaw at 5 p.m. today.
Warsaw senior Abbey Peterson tied for 10th at last year’s state finals, and she will likely be paired with Bailey, who tied for 26th at state.
“Stonehenge is a fun course to play,” coach Thomas said. “Ava and Olivia have played with Abbey before. Ava just a month ago played at a tournament with her for a round. So it’s not like they’ve never seen each other. That will be like a normal summer tour event for those girls.
“But it will be a good measuring stuck for us because Warsaw’s always had a solid program, and Jack Carpenter has done a great job with all the teams he’s coached. … It’s been a couple years since I’ve been there. It will be good to be back.”
Rochester will come into the match ranked No. 17. It’s believed to be the first time in 11 years that Rochester is ranked in the top 20.
“I feel great about that,” Bailey said. “It’s kind of just a pleasant surprise. I didn’t really think of it at all.”
JV results
Rochester was the only team with JV players. Lily Chipps shot a 63, Audrey Widman had a 66, and Chloe Winn had a 67.
Clarification
Coach Thomas said that the Noblesville and Westfield teams that beat Rochester at the Kokomo Invitational Saturday were those schools’ JV teams.
at Honeywell Golf Course, Wabash, Wednesday (front nine, par 36)
ROCHESTER (167): Olivia Bailey 35 (medalist), Ava Thomas 40, Lexi Haughs 45, Molly Moore 47, (Laynie Migonis 53)
WABASH (202): Adams 48, McWhirt 50, Till 52, Indrutz 52, (Brewer 53)
NORTHWESTERN (215): Wray 46, Shoaff 54, Cobble 56, Mula 59, (Lawson 65)
ROCHESTER JV: Lily Chipps 63, Audrey Widman 66, Chloe Winn 67
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