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Birdie on No. 15, Moore’s 2 birdies lead to win over Culver
BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS
Sports Editor, RTC
Hole Nos. 11 and 12 at Round Barn Golf Club at Mill Creek are both par 5s. That might be daunting for some golfers, but when Rochester freshman Olivia Bailey plays those holes, she sees opportunity.
The course knowledge she has gained from playing those holes and her length off the tee helped lead the Lady Zs to a 170-260 win over visiting Culver Thursday.
“They’re two different holes, but I like them,” Bailey said. “Because I normally play well. I like par 5s because it gives me a birdie opportunity if you can get on in two.”
Bailey parred both of the par 5s and was the only player on either team to score par or better on both. She later added a birdie on the par 4 15th and took medalist honors with a 38.
Bailey said the team has been working on short game in practice, and she had a couple of up-and-downs for par.
“Well, my wedges were OK, and so were my irons,” Bailey said. “They were both average today, but in practice, we were mainly doing chipping and putting and wedge shots. … I’m used to these greens, and I really like them. They just roll really smooth and true.”
Payton Moore birdied No. 12 and later birdied the par-3 16th and finished with a 40. She played the last five holes in even par.
Ava Thomas added a 41, a round that included four pars. Delaney Barkman had a 51, and Savanah Eccles had a 58.
Avery Brouyette, Rochester’s lone JV player, shot a 55.
Alisa Hinds shot a 58 to lead Culver, who had four players. Addi Crippen had a 66, and Kaity Stacy and Mickenzie Beach each shot a 68.
“Number 11 is a tough hole,” Rochester coach Chad Thomas said. “That’s the longest hole on the golf course. And if you’re hitting it squirrelly and sideways, it’s going to be a big number because it’s such a long hole too. But then when you get to 12, 12 is a much shorter hole. There isn’t as much trouble, and that’s a hole you can get. We had some girls that had really good looks at birdies, and sometimes when you play that hole and you walk away with a 5 for 6, you’re really disappointed whereas on hole 11, if you walk away with a 5 or 6, you’re very happy about it. They are two very, very different par 5s.
“Number 12 is almost a breath of fresh air when you get to it compared to number 11.”
Rochester was supposed to play in its home invitational five days earlier, but that tournament was canceled after players had played one hole due to pop-up thunderstorms on Aug. 20. Coach Thomas said it was a “bummer” and that the tournament would have been a “good measuring stick.”
“We stayed up around the pro shop area chipping and putting, hitting on the pitching area,” coach Thomas said of the three days of practice since the tournament’s cancellation. “They did go out and play a few holes here and there, but a lot of short game stuff and trying to get some confidence in those areas. It looked like it helped quite a bit because this was our best score of the year, and I saw a lot of good shots from around the green.”
at Round Barn Golf Club at Mill Creek Thursday (back nine, par 36)
ROCHESTER (170): Olivia Bailey 38, Payton Moore 40, Ava Thomas 41, Delaney Barkman 51, (Savanah Eccles 58)
CULVER (260): Alisa Hinds 58, Addi Crippen 66, Kaity Stacy 68, Mickenzie Beach 68
ROCHESTER JV: Avery Brouyette 55
