SALINA – Goodland’s Allison Cure only had a vague idea of the leaderboard situation down the stretch of the Class 3-2-1A tournament on Tuesday at Salina Municipal Golf Course.
But she had no margin for error.
The tournament was still hanging in the balance heading to the Par-5 18th as Cure held a one-shot lead over St. Mary’s Colgan’s Danielle Yaghmour.
“I think it was better I didn’t know because I would have gotten in my head about it,” Cure said. “I just thought, you know what, I might as well fight and finish this round as strong as I can.”
After her fairway shot found the rough, Cure used solid approach and chip shots to put her in position to deliver a championship-clinching par and give Goodland a sweep of the individual and team titles.
Yaghmour narrowly missed a birdie putt that would have forced a playoff and Cure tapped in her par to win by one stroke with a two-day 150.
Cure, a senior, became the first individual girls golf champion for Goodland, which carded a 685 to win the team title by 31 strokes over Jefferson West. It was the Cowgirls' third team championship in program history, also winning in 2008 and 2019.
“This is what I've been working for, honestly, my whole high school career. It's a great feeling,” Cure said. “I still feel numb to it right now, but (it will sink in) later.”
Goodland's Allison Cure reacts after finding out from coach Connie Livengood she had won the individual state title.
After being informed she had won by coach Connie Livengood, Cure shared a special moment with younger sister Natatlie, one of four top-20 state placers for the Cowgirls.
“We kind of started golf together, so it's something that we've always been able to do together,” Cure said. “I’m sad I won’t get to play with her again.”
Cure said she was in a somewhat precarious spot after her tee shot narrowly missed the fairway on 18.
“I was in some thick rough, and I knew I just needed to get it in the fairway, and it ended up really close to the pin, so I just chipped on. My (birdie) putt didn't quite fall, but a two-putt is what sealed it,” Cure said.
“I said ‘Whatever you do, just get it in the fairway so you can get have a chance to get on with the third shot,’ ” Livengood said. “She hits this phenomenal shot right up to the green. It was just awesome.”
Goodland's Allison Cure hits a drive on Tuesday at the 3-2-1A state tournament in Salina.
Cure fired a career-best 73 on Monday to enter as the Day 2 leader by a stroke over Yaghmour.
“She was just putting lights out and her driver was like she was an animal. I mean the adrenaline was just pure,” Livengood said.
“Alli just played steady all the way through. It’s amazing for her to be the state champ. I'm so very happy for her.”
It became a two-player battle for the individual title midway through the second round. Yaghmour joined Cure in a tie for first after the 16th hole when she recorded a par and Cure bogeyed.
Both players struggled to putt on a tricky hole location on the Par-3 17th, but Cure settled for bogey and regained the lead after Yaghmour four-putted for a double bogey.
Colgan's Danielle Yaghmour hits a drive on Tuesday at the 3-2-1A tournament.
Like Cure, Yaghmour was in a tough spot after her tee shot on 18 but she avoided tree trouble and launched her second shot to the back of the green, leaving her a tough downhill chip for her third. She put it within a few feet but couldn’t capitalize on the birdie attempt.
“On my drive I pulled it a little bit, so I went over that tree, just a little bit long,” said Yaghmour, a junior. “Left myself a good chip, probably got it to about five feet, and I just missed that putt, unfortunately. But, you know, it wasn't meant to happen. Next time, though, for sure.”
Yaghmour’s 74 from Day 1 was her career-best round and she followed it up with a 77.
“I'm very pleased with how I played,” she said. “I definitely had a rough start to this year, but it was good coming out to the state tournament and having my best two rounds of the year.
“Definitely some tough holes, put myself in some tough spots, but I thought most of the time that I kept my composure and kept moving on.”
Prairie View’s Harley Wade and Maur Hill’s Maria Carillo tied for third at 157 and Silver Lake’s Kailyn Hanni took fifth with a 164.
After placing second in the season-opening Hays Invitational, Goodland won every other tournament on the season.
Natalie Cure, a junior, took 14th for the Cowgirls with a 175, followed by senior Tori Jones, who tied for 15th, while sophomore Sadie Sederstrom finished 20th with a 183. Goodland’s fifth and sixth golfers, Kaylee Glover and Lexi Rico, shot 199 and 201, respectively.
“I've had a couple other state championships, but this team just went way above and beyond,” Livengood said. “Low scores, everything's been broken this year by all of them. And I can't tell you how much fun it has been.”
Goodland captured the team title by 31 strokes over Jefferson West.
Goodland's Natalie Cure placed 14th.
Goodland's Tori Jones tied for 15th.
Goodland's Sadie Sederstrom placed 20th.
Jefferson West shaved off 16 strokes from the Day 1 score to finish runner-up with a 716. The Tigers had three top-20 medalists – Addison Fechter (13th, 175), Izzy Higgins (17th, 178) and Taryn Taylor (18th, 181).
“Just excited with how tough they were today – how mentally tough they were,” Jeff West coach Darin Lawhorn said. “The back nine here is tougher, and we got to play it in the morning today, and they came through that pretty well, and then they just gained some confidence and just got rolling, started playing the way they're capable of playing.
“These girls work hard all year long, but as you build towards state, we really wanted to peak at the right time. Having three medalists and a couple girls get their personal best just makes it a lot of fun.”
Yaghmour led Colgan to a third-place team finish. She was the only returning starter from last year’s state championship team for the Panthers, who finished two strokes behind Jeff West for second. Annie Swezey was Colgan’s second-best finisher, taking 26th.
Jefferson West took second as a team.
CLASS 3-2-1A STATE GOLF
At Salina Municipal Golf Scores
TEAM SCORES
Goodland 340-345–685, Jefferson West 366-350–716, St. Mary’s Colgan 354-364–718, Silver Lake 364-365–729, Columbus 364-372–736, Cheney 363-374–737.
1. Allison Cure, Goodland, 73-77–150; 2. Danielle Yaghmour 74-77–151; 3. Harley Wade, Prairie View, 77-80–157; 4. Maria Carillo, Maur Hill Academy, 83-74–157; 5. Kailyn Hanni 83-74–157; 6. Cali Carpino, Columbus, 81-85–166; 7. Celeste Schneider, Jayhawk-Linn, 83-85–168; 8. Brynn Schoepf, TMP-Marian, 81-89–170; 9. Peyton Pitts, Osage City, 88-84–172; 10. (tie) Aiva Price, Caney Valley, 86-87–173; Maria Guerra, Maur Hill, 91-82–173; 12. Raegen Black, Cheney, 88-86–174; 13. Addison Fechter, Jefferson West, 87-88–175; 14. Natalie Cure, Goodland, 89-86–175; 15. (tie) Tori Jones, Goodland, 82-95–177; 16. Braelyn Stupke, Colby, 90-87–177; 17. Izzy Higgins, Jefferson West, 92-86–178; 18. Taryn Taylor, Jefferson West, 94-87–181; 19. Alexyus Theiss, Caney Valley, 90-92–182; 20. Sadie Sederstrom, Goodland, 96-87–183.