Bailey shoots 35 for medalist, helps Rochester maintain TRC superiority

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Olivia Bailey

Olivia Bailey shot a 1-under-par 35 to earn medalist honors, and the Rochester girls golf team maintained their superiority of Three Rivers Conference opponents with a win in a three-way match over Lewis Cass and Maconaquah over the back nine at Round Barn Golf Club at Mill Creek Wednesday.

Rochester shot a 186, Lewis Cass had a 210, and Maconaquah had a 216.

Molly Moore added a 40, Lexi Haughs shot a 55, Lily Chipps had a 56, Chloe Winn shot a 64, and Audrey Widman recorded a 70 for the Lady Zs.

Rochester has beaten all eight TRC teams they have faced in a nine-hole match – everybody except Whitko, whom they have not faced – this fall. Rochester will host the TRC tournament at Round Barn Golf Club at Mill Creek Sept. 13.

Bailey overcame a slow start, according to coach Dan Bailey. She was coming off a sixth-place finish at the Rochester Invitational Saturday.

“She played pretty well,” coach Bailey said. “She hit a couple of really bad shots the first two holes, so to come back and finish 1-under after that was really good. I think the biggest thing with her is she’s been working on some structural things in her swing, and she’s got some keys that she’s focused on, and so just being able to focus on those keys and not worry about the result. Once she is set over the ball, she’s got to focus on the keys that she’s got in her swing. And sometimes it’s hard for her to let the result go, but I think she did a really good job of that today.”

As for Moore, coach Bailey said a good offseason has led to a good season.

“She’s had a great year,” coach Bailey said. “She had a great summer. She’s just continued her summer into the season. She’s been super consistent. The biggest thing with her is she’s thinking through the game of golf really well, and that’s helping her hit some good shots. She still questions herself sometimes, which is pretty normal for a sophomore.”

The course was played in overcast, drizzly conditions with temperatures around 70.

“If anything, I think it was a mental thing,” coach Bailey said. “When we got started, it was blowing, and it was raining, and I think a lot of girls – not just our girls – weren’t real excited about going out and playing in cold and rain. Fortunately, it stopped raining by the time we actually got started, so it was a pretty nice night to play golf, but as for as how the course played, the greens were still really firm. Sometimes when we get some rain, they get softer, and they kind of just stop wherever they land, but our greens are still really firm, so they were bouncing really good. So it didn’t really change hope the course played, but I think it might have affected mentality at the start.”

Rochester will play at the Lady Broncho Invitational at Lafayette Jeff Saturday. Start time is 9 a.m. at Battle Ground Golf Club.

“We’ve been trying to get in this tournament for a couple years,” coach Bailey said. “We’ve been on a waiting list. This is our first year we got in. It will be a good test for our team to see where we stack up.”

at Round Barn Golf Club at Mill Creek Wednesday (back nine, par 36)

Rochester 186, Lewis Cass 210, Maconaquah 216

ROCHESTER (186): Olivia Bailey 35, Molly Moore 40, Lexi Haughs 55, Lily Chipps 56, (Chloe Winn 64), (Audrey Widman 70)

LEWIS CASS (210): Toops 42, Willis 49, Collins 58, Coffman 61, (Holmquist 63)

MACONAQUAH (216): Stoll 46, Duke 48, Farnham 54, Smith 68, (Christopher 70)