Girls Golf Finals: Seaholm And Marian Finish In Top Five

ROCHESTER – It wasn’t exactly ideal weather for the Division 2 girls golf state finals this weekend. 

Girls had to battle wind, rain and cold temperatures at Oakland University’s Katke-Cousins Golf Course on both days of the tournament.

Teams hoping the weather might slow down defending champion Muskegon Mona Shores were out of luck. The team won the state title for the third straight time with a team score of 661.

and Marian started the day within striking distance, but couldn’t keep pace. The Maples finished in second place with a two-day total of 688 and Marian ended up tied for fourth with Battle Creek Lakeview with a score of 721.

On Saturday, wind speeds upwards of 40 miles per hour made the course particularly challenging and good scores were at a premium.

“The wind was just howling, it was very, very difficult,” Marian head coach Tom Brecht said. “Sometimes you saw the ball come up to the hole and the wind come up and take it right off the green. On average, for us, it was six strokes per person.”

Seaholm assistant coach Cathie Fritz said the high winds definitely put golfers’ course management skills to the test.

“It’s extremely challenging,” Fritz said. “There were a couple of holes (today) that it was a four-club wind.”

A four-club wind means golfers that would normally hit an 8-iron on a hole would have to use a 4-iron. The general rule is for every 10 mph of win, a golfer changes one full club length.

Given the conditions, neither Seaholm nor Marian was disappointed with where they finished.

The Maples had the youngest team at the tournament by far. It had two freshmen, two sophomores and only one senior on its team.

They were the only school out of the 15 teams at the finals with two freshman — Rachel Wilson and Jamie Greene — starting. Wilson’s 82 on Friday was the top score shot by a freshman at the tournament.

“They are both going to be very solid players; I’m very excited at the opportunities they are going to have,” Fritz said.

The Mustangs' had a very different kind of team at this year’s state finals than Seaholm. It had one of the more experienced teams in the field with three seniors starting. Marian’s coach was happy to see his girls jump up in the standings for the third straight year.

“It’s an improvement. We were sixth two years ago and fifth last year,” Brecht said.

Kelly Lunghamer was competing at her fourth state finals while teammates Macy Hudson and Ellen Manson were golfing in their third finals.

“They are a great bunch of girls,” Brecht said.

Essence Biggs, who won the individual title as a junior for Seaholm last year, finished tied for seventh with Hudson and Traverse City Central’s Courtney Dye. Biggs shot 83 on Friday and 82 on Saturday. 

She said it was her putting, not the weather, that she struggled with.

“This course is definitely a lot tougher because it’s narrow and the greens are weird,” Biggs said. “It’s nothing like MSU (Forest Akers).”

Fritz understood Biggs' disappointment, but is confident it won’t last long.

“I just think she has to keep it in perspective, look at the conditions and put it behind her,” Fritz said. “Essence is an unbelievable golfer, she makes two to four birdies every time she tees it up, she’s going to have a great college career.”

Other results

• In Division 1 at The Meadows golf course at Grand Valley State University Stoney Creek, Troy and Adams all finished in the top 15. Grosse Pointe South won the team championship with a total score of 692.
  
  The Cougars finished in second place for the second straight year, but for the second consecutive year one of their golfers won the individual title.
  
  Gabby Yurik won this year with a total score of 153. She shot a 78 on the first day and 75 on the second day. Yurik was the only golfer in Division 1 to shoot under 80 on both days of the tournament. As a team, Stoney Creek had a team score of 713.
  
  Troy finished in fifth place with a team score of 747. Kelly Feng finished in 10th place for the Colts with total score of 174. She shot 87 on both days. Adams finished in 14th place with a team score of 830.

• Michigan State hosted the Division 3 state finals at the Forest Akers West course. Country Day finished in seventh place with a team score of 790 and Cranbrook-Kingswood finished in 10th place with a team score of 814.
  
  Greer Clausen from Cranbrook was the only golfer from either school to finish in the top 10. Clausen shot an 88 on day one and a 96 on day two for a total score of 184.