Madison Central tops Lexington Christian for girls’ region golf titles
Playing on the same course against an archrival they had tied just two days earlier, Madison Central’s girls’ golf team swept top honors in the Region 9 Championship at Lakeside Golf Course on Monday.
Claira Beth Ramsey, a junior, shot an even-par 72 over the 5,533-yard layout to win the individual title by three strokes as her team edged out Lexington Christian by four shots to claim both the region crown and the lone team bid to next week’s state tournament in Bowling Green.
“First off, my team — I’m very proud of them. They did what we had to do today to get the job done,” Ramsey said. “We’ve been waiting on this for a couple of years now, I’d say, so I’m just really happy and so excited for all of us to get to go down to Bowling Green.”
In cool, rainy conditions at Lakeside on Saturday, Madison Central and LCA tied atop the team competition in a tune-up event, so everyone knew Monday’s regional would go down to the wire. On a seemingly perfect fall day Monday, the sunny, breezy conditions made for a more difficult course and higher scores.
“Wind was the number one factor today and nerves were the second biggest factor,” Madison Central Coach Tennye Ohr said. “I was nervous. I was a nervous wreck, but these girls worked so hard all season long and put up some great numbers.”
Madison Central placed all five of its golfers in the top 15 with only four needed for their winning team total of 311 strokes (the worst individual score is thrown out). Lydia Harrel tied for third at 6-over, Elizabeth Eberle tied for sixth at 7-over, Abi Buchanan tied for 11th at 10-over and Mollie Neeley tied for 15th at 11-over. Considering there are no seniors among that group, the effort is even more impressive.
The win marked Madison Central’s first regional team title since 2018. LCA won the last two.
While LCA won’t be able to compete as a team in Bowling Green, the Eagles’ best golfers earned their way to state as four of the top seven individual qualifiers.
“I think they were really just focused on trying to win as a team,” LCA Coach Ford Lankford said, noting that he didn’t think his golfers focused at all on where they stood in the individual standings. They were just trying to play their best golf. “I thought they played well. It was good, considering the conditions. … Anyone who shot in the 70s today played well.”
LCA’s Mary Keene Marrs placed second at 3-over, C.A. Carter tied for sixth at 7-over, Carter Lankford tied for eighth at 8-over and Maryssa Phillips finished 10th at 9-over. LCA’s fifth golfer, Julie Lee, finished outside the individual qualifying spots, but still finished in a tie for 22nd at 15-over, better than almost three quarters of the field.
“I’m really proud of our team. We worked hard this year and everyone’s really excited to get a chance to make it (to state),” Marrs said. “Julie’s just an eighth-grader. She’s come a long way this year and she’s had some of her best rounds. She didn’t make it to state, but she had a great season. I’m excited for her future.”
Also qualifying for state were Henry Clay’s Channing Hagen and Lexington Catholic’s Bella Brooks, who finished in a tie for third (6-over), and Madison Southern’s Kasey Cameron, who finished in a tie for eighth (8-over).
Last year, Ramsey made it to state as the last individual qualifier. She’s glad to be going back as a champion. Ramsey feels confident she and her team can contend at state. Her ability to overcome adversity Monday should help.
Ramsey’s day didn’t start well. She bogeyed the first two holes as the region’s top golfers teed off Lakeside’s No. 10 as their first hole.
She responded with back-to-back birdies on the next two and finished the front side at 1-over. After a bogey to start the back nine, Ramsey again went birdie-birdie immediately. In fact, she erased each of her five bogeys with a birdie, the last coming after a monster drive just 10 yards off the green on her 17th hole. She chipped within 10 feet and putted it home to get her back to even par.
“It feels really good. It was my goal today to come out here and win. But when I started 2-over after two holes, I was like, ‘Dude, what the heck?’” Ramsey joked. “But I just grinded it out the entire day and I knew I could get it if I just kept on it every shot.”
Girls’ Region 9 Championship
Lakeside Golf Course, par 72, 5,533 yards
Individual standings
(Top team, plus top seven individuals outside that team, qualify for state)
1. Claira Beth Ramsey, Madison Central, E; 2. Mary Keene Marrs, Lexington Christian, +3; T3. Lydia Harrel, Madison Central, +6; T3. Channing Hagen, Henry Clay, +6; T3. Bella Brooks, Lexington Catholic, +6; T6. Elizabeth Eberle, Madison Central, +7; T6. C.A. Carter, Lexington Christian, +7; T8. Kasey Cameron, Madison Southern, +8; T8; Maryssa Phillips, Lexington Christian, +9.
Team standings
1. Madison Central, +23; 2. LCA, +27; 3. Lexington Catholic, +50; 4. Woodford County, +58; 5. Henry Clay, +63.
This story was originally published September 27, 2021 at 9:07 PM.
