McKie leads by 1
- Updated: June 18, 2019
Rising Lee University sophomore shoots soggy 74, leads State Women’s Stroke Play by 1 over Burks, Borders
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
OXFORD — Usually in an elite tournament a round over par will leave a player disappointed and heading back to the range looking for answers. Under the circumstances Tuesday, the leaders in the 29th Women’s State Stroke Play Championship felt pretty good about their scores.
The players fought through a heavy rain and a lengthy lightning delay on a Cider Ridge Golf Club course in otherwise perfect shape, so the pace-setting 2-over-par 74 posted by Hoover’s Carson McKie was acceptable on its face.
It was good enough to give the rising Lee University sophomore a one-shot lead over Jacksonville’s Chloe Borders and Sophie Burks of Tallassee. Anniston’s Layne Dyar and Maria Donado of Homewood are another shot back.
Linda Jeffery of Prattville was the only player to post a red number. She shot a 3-under 69 with five birdies and opened a 10-shot lead in the Tournament Division.
McKie was the only player in the field to birdie No. 1. She did have back-to-back bogeys on 6 and 7, but then birdied 9 to turn in even par. She took it to 1-under with a birdie at 13, then came back to the field with a double at 16 after a bad tee shot and a bogey at 18.
“The round went really well,” she said. “Kind of blew up on 16 with a double, but mainly tried to keep my cool throughout the rest of the round to make sure it didn’t get any worse.
“Under normal conditions I would be pretty happy with the round. Of course, there were some errors so it could have been better … but (74 on a day like this) it makes me feel a lot better.”
Burks, coming off a good sophomore year at Middle Tennessee State where she lowered her stroke average two shots, bogeyed 3 and then parred around until making her only birdie on the par-3 12th. She had a double bogey on 14 and three-putted 18 for bogey.
“If 75 is my worst day then I definitely have to look on the positive side and say that I’ve come a long way for 75 to be my worst day,” she said. “I didn’t make many putts today and only one birdie. A few more putts drop, you’re definitely looking at a different round, but in the conditions we faced, 75, I’ll take it.
“Going into today I knew something low really wasn’t going to happen so I was just trying to still give myself an opportunity for the next two days to have a chance. You can shave off two strokes in the next round. I was just trying to give myself that opportunity.”
Dyar had a roller-coaster front. She doubled 2, but got back to even par with birdies at 3 and 5. She bogeyed 8, 9 and 10, then played her last eight holes in 1-over.
“I hit the ball pretty well today, I just didn’t make a whole lot of putts, but I felt towards the end my confidence got higher, so I take that as a positive going into tomorrow,” she said.
Borders climbed into contention with birdies on two of her last three holes (16 and 17). She also birdied two of her last three on the front (7 and 8) to turn in 1-over.
“There were a few holes where it was rainy really hard so the conditions weren’t great, but I was happy I finished with two birdies in the last three holes,” she said. “I think I calmed back down after the weather (went through). My goal today was shoot between par and 75, so I was happy with it.”
29thALABAMA WOMEN’S
STROKE PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
Championship Division
Carson McKie, Hoover 36-38—74
Sophie Burks, Tallassee 37-38—75
Chloe Borders, Jacksonville 37-38—75
Maria Donado, Homewood 38-38—76
Layne Dyar, Anniston 38-38—76
Susan West, Tuscaloosa 38-39—77
Stephenie Fowler, Vestavia Hills 39-39—78
Anna Claire Little, Auburn 40-38—78
Ally Williams, Athens 41-39—80
Hanna Dyar, Anniston 42-39—81
Mary Trammell, Mountain Brook 42-40—82
Julie Baker, Hoover 44-40—84
Theresa Mahlik, Madison 41-44—85
Stacy Quilling, Birmingham 43-43—86
Lindsey Oxley, Helena 43-43—86
Lindsey Gordon, Sylacauga 45-48—93
Madilyn Turner, Jacksonville 48-47—95
Tournament Division
Linda Jeffery, Prattville 34-35—69
Chris Spivey, Pell City 40-39—79
Kyung-Hwa Theodoss, Hampton Cove 45-44—89
Baylie Webb, Anniston 46-44—90
Abby Gattis, Jacksonville 51-46—97
Isabel Rogers, Anniston 54-47—101
Keri Rutledge, Birmingham 49-53—102
Wednesday’s pairings
7:30 – Lindsey Gordon, Madilyn Turner
7:40 – Theresa Mahlik, Lindsey Oxley, Stacy Quilling
7:50 – Hanna Dyar, Mary Trammell, Julie Baker
8:00 – Anna Claire Little, Stephenie Fowler, Ally Williams
8:10 – Layne Dyar, Maria Donado, Susan West
8:20 – Carson McKie, Chloe Borders, Sophie Burks
8:30 – Isabel Rogers, Keri Rutledge
8:40 – Baylie Webb, Abby Gattis
8:50 – Kyung-Hwa Theodoss, Chris Spivey, Linda Jeffery
To see more photos from the round click this link: www.bjfranklin.smugmug.com
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