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Cloverdale tops field at Putnam County Golf Match for first time since '13
CLOVERDALE — A few seasons ago, Cloverdale was on the border of not being able to field a girls’ golf team.
Monday, the Clovers showed the growth of the program by winning their first county title since 2013, shooting 215 to top the field at the Putnam County Golf Match at Clover Meadows GC.
Greencastle, having struggled with numbers all season, was able to field a team for the county match and finished second on 235. South Putnam was third on 250 with North Putnam a golfer short of fielding a team score.
The top two teams had the top two players on the course as Celeste Terrell and Emma Callahan both came in on 48, necessitating a playoff for medalist honors.
Despite a solid recovery from Callahan from an errant tee shot, Terrell holed out for birdie on No. 1 to complete a strong night for the Clovers.
“You couldn’t ask for a better second shot in the playoff, along with pitching in the winner,” Cloverdale head coach Jamie Steffy said. “Everything we work on in practice, she stepped up and did.
“Emma is a really good golfer and an even better young lady. Celeste is one of a kind, a great girl, a great student and we talked about her second shot. We wanted a good tee shot but said the second shot was key.”
Terrell was joined on the All-County team by three teammates as Autumn Wheeler was third overall on 52, Payton Watkins finished fourth on 56 and Aliyah Maldonado was eighth on 59, having matched the same score as sixth and seventh place. Aliyaah Burroff was two shots off All-County honors on 61.
“Thinking back four years ago, we had one golfer out,” Steffy said. “I convinced Aliyah to come out, then Autumn and Celeste.
“I sold them on a vision of what we could do even though at first, we’re circling every hole and shooting in the 260s. We added Payton last year, some freshmen this year and this group continues to grow.
“They get up, show up and have bought in to what we’ve asked them to do the past few years,” Steffy added. “With that buy-in that they’ve given me, they get to do what a lot of teams, regardless of sport, don’t get to do and that’s get to call themselves champions. I’ve never been prouder of a group of girls in a team I’ve coached.”
Emily Gray added a second All-County finisher for Greencastle on 59, finishing seventh, while Grace Long shot 61 and Charlotte Knipp carded a round of 67.
“Each of the girls have improved over the course of the year quite a bit,” Tiger Cub head coach Brad Kingma said. “Emma pulled her tee shot on the playoff, had a nice punch out and hit a decent shot up there but got beat by a shot that went in.
“There wasn’t anything she could do about that and she has to come to realize that, which will be tough, but she’ll get there.”
Faith Wiggins finished sixth overall on 59 to lead South Putnam, earning All-County honors, with Bella Fanning shooting 60, Lydia Roderick carding a 64 and Mollie Huber coming in on 67.
“I’m proud of Faith for making All-County her senior year,” Eagle head coach Jill Nelson said. “She’s worked hard and she’s earned it. I’m very happy and proud of her.”
Madison Houser shot 56 for North Putnam to earn All-County honors in fifth place while Ellie Jo Burdine shot 66 and Hayden Fowler shot 72.
“We had two kids who hadn’t been in a county situation before tonight,” Cougar head coach Earl Hall said. “Ellie shot 66 and Hayden shot 72. Madison, who we’ll miss, shot 56.
“I’m proud of the girls. It’s not easy coming out knowing that you don’t have a chance to win because you don’t have a full team but they were still playing for themselves and the pride of their families, school and community.
“The girls have been a blessing to coach and I’ve had a lot of coaches come up and tell me that, for girls that can’t score as a team, we have three exceptional ladies playing for North Putnam,” Hall added. “We’ll lose a pair of girls but we have three or four already lined up to go along with Ellie so that we have a full team and challenge for the county again.”