Girls golf: New Albany Eagles finish third at national tournament
The New Albany girls golf team made a run at second place in the final round of the NHSGA High School Golf National Invitational before settling for third.
The tournament was June 27-29 at Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, North Carolina.
After two rounds, the Eagles were third and trailed second-place San Antonio (Texas) Ronald Reagan by 17 strokes before shooting the tournament’s best score of 290 to close the event.
“(The final round) was what we were capable of,” said Anna Ritter, a 2022 New Albany graduate. “The first two days, we all knew that we left shots out there. We just wanted to put something together.”
The tournament featured state-championship teams and individuals from across the country. New Albany has won the last four Division I state titles.
The Eagles played the par-72 No. 6 course in the first round, followed by the par-70 No. 1 course and the par-72 No. 9 course.
“Everybody played well,” coach Rich Ritter said June 29. “Of our first four players, the most over par anybody was 2-over. Today was really what our girls are all about. We didn’t as good of a score in the first two days as we should have as a team. But we really showed what we were about (in the final round).”
New Albany had three golfers in the top 10, led by Anna Ritter, who finished fifth with a 2-over par 216.
Ritter birdied four of the first five holes in the opening round and shot a 33 on the front nine and finished with a 71. She also posted a team-best 71 in the third round.
“I putted pretty well, but I still left some putts out there that I could have made,” she said. “The greens today were aerated. The ones (in the second round) were not, but the practice green was. So, the courses were just a little tricky on that front just because you had to adjust to it. (There were) very tricky pins (in the final round) too.”
Freshman Mia Hammond placed eighth with a 4-over 218, and graduate Kary Hollenbaugh tied for ninth with a 5-over 219.
In the final round, Hammond shot par and Hollenbaugh finished 1-over 73 after shooting a 33 on the back nine.
The tournament served as one last chance for Hollenbaugh and Ritter to play with their teammates.
“We are all really, really close,” Ritter said. “We all travel a lot in the summer time. We’re just all really busy, so it’s kind of nice to have a tournament together. It was a team and event and we were wearing the same uniform, but I think we were all having a good time.”
Hollenbaugh will play at Ohio State and Ritter at Illinois.
“We were comparing schedules and seeing what tournaments we’re going to be at,” Hollenbaugh said. “It’ll be cool to see each other a lot – a little different not being on the same team. But I think it’ll be fun to know someone, and it won’t be as scary to be all alone.”
Senior Anna Coccia tied for 81st with a 241, which included a 2-over 74 in the final round. Sophomore Ceci Coccia shot a 272 to tie for 161st.
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