Mason County’s Haley White and Macey Littleton will take their swings to Bowling Green this week as they participate in the KHSAA girls’ state golf tournament.
The two got there by qualifying individually in the 12th Region golf tournament, White finishing third by shooting a 84, Littleton finishing sixth with a 89.
Bowling Green is familiar territory for White, making her third trip to the state tournament, once as a team with the Lady Royals as a freshman and now in back-to-back years as an individual in her junior and senior years. Littleton will be making her first trip to the Bowling Green Country Club, the only freshman in the region to individually qualify for the state tourney.
“Obviously I’ve relied on Haley all year to lead. Come Monday for the practice round, everything will be new to Macey and hopefully Haley can guide her with club selection and what to hit,” Lady Royals coach Jason Butler said. “I’ll rely on Haley a bunch to kind of communicate and coach her around the course even though I’ll be there. The advantage for Macey is she has good length and on that course it is good to have it. The lack of rain lately will make the course tough.”
The two have found their stroke at the right time, both firing their lowest scores of the year in their last couple rounds. White started her solid rounds with a career-low 86 at the West Carter Invitational at Hidden Cove Golf Course on September 14. She followed that up with another career-low 83 at the Marcus Camacho Grant County Invitational on September 21.
Then at the 12th Region Tournament back at Hidden Cove, White shot a 84. All three scores earned her third place finishes in each respective event.
Littleton broke 90 for the first time at the West Carter Invitational with an 89 and then carded the same score a little over two weeks later at the regional tournament.
After a practice round Monday, the two will start on Tuesday in the 36-hole tournament with a cut after the first 18 holes.
“I told them to bring all three uniforms because we plan on being there all three days,” Butler said.
Littleton tees off at 12:06 p.m. CST and White goes at 12:51 p.m. CST. Both will start on the 10th hole.
White failed to make the cut last year, shooting a 102. Last year’s cut was at 83, so she’ll need to be around her career-low to make it to the second day.
“I think the number we’re shooting for is 85. I think they’re capable of shooting that if they can keep it on the fairway, something they did at Hidden Cove. I like their chances if they can do that,” Butler said.
White shot a 105 and 109 her freshman year when teammate Sarah Fite won the state title with a two day score of one-over par (74-71—145).
Lexington Christian Academy will look to repeat as girls’ team champion after claiming the 2018 state title with a 639 total (324-315) led by individual medalist Laney Frye (72-74 – 146).
