Moore shoots 72, tied for 6th at Kokomo Invite

Molly Moore

Lady Zs shoot 410, finish in 11th place

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

KOKOMO — Rochester girls golf coach Dan Bailey does not talk about individual scores or team scores at such an early stage in the season.

“I don’t talk so much about score with the girls as opposed to let’s do a little bit better today than we did yesterday,” Bailey said. “I feel like we’re slowly making those steps.”

And junior Molly Moore might have taken the biggest step at the Kokomo Invitational at Kokomo Country Club Saturday.

For the second straight year, Moore shot a 72 in this tournament. Last year, it marked the only time Olivia Bailey was not the low Rochester scorer. This time, Moore’s score helped her finish in a tie for sixth among all individuals in the 15-team field.

Rochester was 11th with a 410. Lexi Haughs added a 95, Lily Chipps had a 117, and Audrey Widman had a 126. Rochester played with four players for the second straight event to open the season. Three freshman players have not been deployed yet.

Moore shot a 1-under-par 34 on the back nine to cap her round.

The field included four teams that made state last year, including three of the top five.

Westfield was one of those teams, and they won Saturday with a 298 with No. 3 player Farrah Camp taking medalist with a 69.

Bailey said this round should give Moore the confidence that she can play with the best in the state. In fact, Bailey said afterwards that his first talk with Moore on the way home would be about the “two or three” shots that she “gave away.”

“For a long time, I’ve been trying to get her to understand that she can play with anyone else in the state,” Bailey said. “There’s some of the best players in the state at this tournament.”

Asked about her round, Moore prefaced her comments by saying “any round can be better.”

“I’m very satisfied with it because I’ve been playing all summer, and my lowest had been an 81,” Moore said. “So to go from 81 to 72, that’s pretty good. I’m very happy with it.”

Moore said that Kokomo Country Club has narrow fairways on some holes, but she acknowledged she played it risky by using her driver on some of the narrow holes.

She also is getting used to being the team’s No. 1 player. She was the No. 3 player two years ago behind Bailey and Ava Thomas and the No. 2 player behind Bailey last year.

She played between two to four tournaments a week during the summer, and she practiced on the days she did not have a tournament.

“I think the stress of not having someone ahead of me stressed me out, so I knew I had to be the one for the team,” Moore said. “So I just knew I didn’t have Olivia to count on. They’re counting on me, so I had to focus on that.”

Moore said that Kokomo Country Club’s greens are faster than the greens at Round Barn Golf Club in Rochester. Bailey said one of Moore’s main improvements is in her putting.

“That I know of, there was only one three-putt,” Bailey said. “And those are pretty long ones. She’s kind of changed her putting set-up in the last couple weeks. … She had struggled with her speed a little bit. We just changed how she set up… and I think it lets her swing it freely, and she’s doing a good job.”

As for Haughs, Bailey said he is addressing her inconsistency. She shot a 96 – a 55 on the front nine followed by a 41 on the back – at the season-opening 18-hole tournament against Triton and Winamac Aug. 3.

“That’s kind of typical for right now for where she is,” Bailey said. “The 41 is obviously more enjoyable. We think that’s a little closer to where she should be. She’s just got to make it happen for 18 holes instead of five or six.”

Chipps improved on her 120 from the season-opening tournament.

“It’s hard to come right out and start playing 18-hole matches when you haven’t played golf for awhile,” Bailey said. “It’s not like riding a bike. It is super hard to take some time off and then come back. Today, we had to help her get through some frustration.”

Bailey also complimented Widman on her on-course demeanor.

“The thing I love about Audrey is I never know how good she’s playing,” Bailey said. “How you doing? ‘Good.’ Everything OK? ‘Yes.’ She’s always smiling. I really appreciate the way she approaches the game. … She hits a shot, and then she tries to get the next one a little bit better and the next one a little bit better.”

KOKOMO INVITATIONAL

at Kokomo Country Club Saturday (par 71)

Westfield 298, Noblesville 305, Hamilton Southeastern 306, Lapel 309, Indianapolis Cathedral 346, Mount Vernon (Fortville) 362, Bloomington North 385, Guerin Catholic 389, Tipton 390, Kokomo 405, ROCHESTER 410, Lawrence Central 414, Eastern (Greentown) 418, Plymouth 443, Lafayette Jeff 443

ROCHESTER (410): Molly Moore (38-34) 72, Lexi Haughs (47-48) 95, Lily Chipps (62-55) 117, Audrey Widman (68-58) 126

Medalist: Farrah Camp (Westfield) – 69