'There's really nothing to lose'

CROOKSVILLE — This is the week that Riley McKenzie has been eyeing for months.

Crooksville's standout senior golfer, the only girl in school history to play in a state tournament, will make her return trip to Ohio State's Gray Course on Friday for another shot at the big stage.

It's her final chance to represent the Ceramics, at least on the golf course. The two-time individual champion in the Southeast District will be play at 10:40 a.m. in the Division II event, where she placed 16th of 71 players in last year's tournament. Her 163 left her four shots outside of the top 10.

This time, the vibe is different. No longer does she carry the burden of trying to earn a college scholarship, as she pledged to Division II Ashland earlier this year.

Now she can just play.

"Just knowing it's the last go at it, there's really nothing to lose," said McKenzie, who play with two other individual qualifiers in Upper Sandusky's Liv Gier and Botkins' Lydia Brooks. "That's kind of how I have looked at it this whole postseason. Just go out and try to score and do your best. You can't lose now. I've got everything set up for me now."

McKenzie hopes the combination of overall improvement in her game and last year's experience pays dividends. Prior to the season, she spent the entire spring and summer traveling to play in various Southern Ohio PGA and other junior events in the region. She went as far as Florida to play.

But she acknowledged that this competition is different.

"Just the environment is different than anything I've ever played in," McKenzie said. "You're at Ohio State's course, and knowing it's a college course, I think that can get in some people's heads. It's a very nice course, but I was scared being above the hole last year. I had that thought in my head: 'Don't get above hole.' This year if I do get above the hole I'm going to do my best to limit that to a two-putt and get as close as I can."

She also said hitting out of the rough concerned her. This time around, she said she's playing free and not worrying.

"I think I have gotten better since last year," McKenzie said. "My long game has gotten better. I struggled with that last year. I think my swing thoughts this year have been getting back to basics, just taking my time and not overthinking it, working on one thing at a time."

She said during a Monday practice session at EagleSticks that she was simply happy to qualify after struggling on the back nine at the district at Pickaway Country Club. She was in cruise control at 2-over par through 15 holes and leading the tournament, but an erratic drive led to a quadruple bogey on the 16th hole.

She eventually settled for an 81, just one shot ahead of runner-up Maddi Meadows, of Gallia Academy, and Williamsport Westfall's Emily Cook. An 82 would have left her in a playoff with Meadows for the final spot.

McKenzie said she's simply happy to qualify, given the late drama at Pickaway.

"Part of me was thinking it could be over, but part of me was like, 'I've got to finish this because I've got nothing to lose,'" McKenzie said. "I hit the best shot I hit all day off 18 tee, then I hit the best (approach) shot all day into the green."

She feels that being able to play and practice at Zanesville Country Club, where she works in the bag room, will give her an added advantage that she didn't have last year.

"Gray is difficult if you think too much about it, but you just have to go out there and play," McKenzie said. "A lot of people compare it to Zanesville Country Club and I agree with that. I think if you can score at Zanesville Country Club that you can score at a lot of places.

"I think if I can go up there and just play my game, stay patient and go up and make a bunch of pars, I'll be fine," McKenzie said. "That's my goal, to go out and make 36 pars. I'd love to have no three putts and no double bogeys the whole weekend. I'd like my worst score to be bogey."

Greg McKenzie, her father and longtime coach as well as a former PGA professional, said the key to Riley's success will be staying aggressive and maintaining a good frame of mind. He's confident that with her experience playing on the faster green speeds at ZCC that she will compensate quickly.

"Iron play is going to be the biggest thing for her, because the fairways are big enough," Greg said. "I don't want to make it sound like it's easy, but it's so wide open compared the Pickaway. Outside of that district she has really been hitting her driver well, but she has to have her irons dialed in."

It's a bittersweet time for dad and daughter, who have been together since the first time Riley picked up a club. Greg said even though he was working in the golf business during her formative years, Riley's favorite sport was always baseball.

That eventually changed. This time next year, Riley will be listening to a new voice, one she admits is intriguing since her dad has been her only coach, outside of swing coach Chase Wilson.

"Moving on to a new coach and a new family is going to be different, but I am excited for it," McKenzie said. "I met the girls and loved the team atmosphere (at Ashland), loved the coaches. I think it's going to be a good change. I am going to be interested to see how I perform."

Greg said he's proud of his daughter's maturity. She was the only girl on the team and sometimes played with the boys, who missed qualifying for the Division III state tournament as district runner-up.

He's had plenty of memories flash back in his mind as the days have passed.

"It's tough. It really is," Greg said. "As I was driving in here (to EagleSticks) today, I was thinking about how we would come over here and hit balls when she was little, and she liked baseball a lot more until she was about 9 years old. I vividly remember her as a fourth grader playing in her first junior high match against West Muskingum. She walked right over and introduced herself."

It's that calm demeanor that could go a long way this weekend.

"She doesn't get nervous very often," Greg said. "It's staying positive, and it's probably the same with any golfer. You have to stay positive, trust in yourself and believe that you can do it. She has the ability to contend."

sblackbu@gannett.com; Twitter: @SamBlackburnTR

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: 'There's really nothing to lose'