New Palestine’s Janie Hamilton puts some power behind her opening hole tee shot during the first day at the IHSAA Girls Golf State Finals at Prairie View Golf Club.
Rob Baker | For The Daily Reporter
CARMEL — New Palestine head coach Sarah O’Brien, when her team played the state championship course, Prairie View Golf Club, in the State Fall Preview to begin the 2024 season, called the course “the toughest course we play.”
The Dragons, invited to the early-season event after qualifying for the 2023 IHSAA Girls Golf State Finals, shot a 376 in the August tournament and finished 15th of 18 teams.
Back at Prairie View this weekend after qualifying for a second straight state tournament, the Dragons found the course just as tough two months later.
With one 18-hole round, completed Friday, of the two-round state finals, New Palestine, after carding a 378, is 17th of 18 teams.
The Dragons are ahead of Evansville Reitz Memorial (412) and trail 16th-place Lake Central by five strokes (373) and 15th-place Bedford North Lawrence by 10 (368). DeKalb, Northridge and Homestead are tied for 12th with 363s.
Noblesville leads the tournament with a 310.
Individually, New Palestine was led by sophomore Lauren Deering. She is tied for 31st place after shooting a 10-over-par 82. Junior Katie Kelley is tied for 51st after a round of 88.
Both had two birdies. Deering had birdies on the Par 5 No. 3 hole and Par 4 No. 11. Kelley, who shot a 3-over-par 39 on the front nine, had birdies on a pair of Par 4 holes, No. 1 and No. 9.
Matti Tiede-White is tied for 93rd with a 103. Seniors Janie Hamilton and Lily Kirchner are 97th and 105th, respectively, after rounds of 105 and 113.
New Palestine shot 180 (36-over-par) on the front and 198 on the back. The Dragons best hole was the Par 3, No. 6 hole. They shot 1-over-par.
Floyd Central’s Paige Giovenco and Westfield’s Addi Kooi are at the top of the leaderboard after shooting even-par 72s.
Tee times for today’s final round were scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m.
