Thompson, Andersen, Burris qualify for state

Any way you slice it — weather, course, players — there were plenty of ups and downs at Monday’s 3A Region 3 girls golf tournament.

On a day that saw T-shirts alternating with hoodies, a little breeze and some occasional mist, juniors Emma Thompson, Erin Andersen and Sabryn Burris finished the day on a high with qualifications for state.

Grace Roberts’ day ended in disappointment, however, as she ended up as first alternate after a three-way tie and playoff hole to determine the region’s final qualifier.

Holyoke head coach Nick Flaa said the 18-hole Mariana Butte Golf Course at Loveland presented a lot of challenges and obstacles, with bunkers, water features and a lot of elevation changes.

“We cannot recreate on some these demanding shots on the nine-hole tracks we compete on throughout the season,” Flaa said.

While the team has seen several courses with challenges, Mariana Butte had more bunkers and water than maybe every single course Holyoke played on combined, Flaa said.

“As many know, this game is possibly more mental than it is physical. The primary focus for each player was to customize a game plan the day prior during our practice round and commit to that plan on game day. Every course requires some thought as far as plotting your way along, but Mariana Butte really stretched this thinking to the max,” Flaa said.

The tournament started at 1 p.m. and, with players taking their time to evaluate shots and get around the course, didn’t get over until late.

The Dragons finished third as a team, 10 shots out of an automatic team berth. Berthoud placed all four of its players in the top 10 and took the team win by 15 strokes. Resurrection Christian was second.

Thompson shot 98 and tied for fifth. Andersen was three strokes back and placed ninth. Burris shot 106 and took 18th.

With the top two teams qualifying and the next 13 individuals qualifying, Roberts’ 111 left her tied for the final spot. Wray’s Sydney Chartier won the playoff and the final spot at state.

Flaa said it was a bittersweet moment. While happy for three players, he was “torn up” for Roberts.

With most players struggling to stay around their average, Flaa was happy his team stayed consistent with their scores.

Flaa said he and assistant coach Marcia Dalton took the team through a practice round Sunday.

Coaches put emphasis on course management and sticking with their game plan.

Thompson and Andersen both qualified for state last year, but this will be Holyoke’s first time competing as a team at state.

The state championships will be played at Broomfield.

Flaa said the course will be easier than the Loveland course. While none of the team members have played there before, Flaa and Dalton coached when Grace Dille played on the course in 2018.

The full article is available in our e-Edition. Click here to subscribe.