Moore cards 3 birdies, shoots 40 in Lady Zs’ win over Western

Thomas, Bailey each shoot 41

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Payton Moore’s round of 40 included three birdies, and Ava Thomas and Olivia Bailey each added a 41 to lead the Rochester girls golf team to a 176-196 win over Western over the front nine at Round Barn Golf Club at Mill Creek Tuesday.

Payton Moore

Moore had back-to-back birdies on Nos. 2 and 3 and added a birdie on No. 6 before finishing with back-to-back double bogeys on Nos. 8 and 9.

Thomas and Bailey each parred the treacherous first hole. Thomas started with four straight pars and finished with five straight bogeys. Bailey’s round included five pars.

Delaney Barkman added a 54, and Savanah Eccles had a 58 to round out the Lady Z scorecard.

The 176 was a season-low for nine holes. Rochester shot a 177 in beating Winamac and Knox at Moss Creek Golf Club on Monday.

“It was a good score for us,” Rochester coach Chad Thomas said. “We’re trending in the right direction, and our scores are coming down as a team. We shot our best nine-hole score last night, and we just bettered that by one tonight at home on a tougher course. So we’re heading in the right direction. It would just be nice to click on all cylinders on the same night.”

Western’s Elizabeth Mercer was the medalist with a 39. Her round included a birdie on No. 2 and five pars. Mercer is a two-time sectional medalist and finished in a tie for 31st at last year’s state finals.

As a team, Western placed 12th at state last year. The Lady Panthers will return to Mill Creek on Saturday for the Rochester Invitational.

“It is a nice win,” coach Thomas said. “They lost a lot to graduation last year, so it’s definitely not the same Western team, but they always have solid players. I think this is maybe only the second or third time I’ve ever beaten Western in my 22 years, so it was a good win for us. I’m more concerned about how we did versus if we beat Western or whatever.”

at Round Barn Golf Club at Mill Creek Tuesday (front nine, par 36)

ROCHESTER (176): Payton Moore 40, Ava Thomas 41, Olivia Bailey 41, Delaney Barkman 54, (Savanah Eccles 58)

WESTERN (196): Mercer 39, Williamson 45, Nutt 47, Burns 65, (Knolinski 71)

ROCHESTER JV: Avery Brouyette 59