BATTLE GROUND | The conditions may have been extremely windy at Saturday’s Lafayette Jeff Regional at Battle Ground Golf Club, but Valparaiso’s Harley Dubsky had no problems playing through the conditions.
Dubsky ended her 18-hole round with a 1-over par 73, easily outdistancing the other competitors for medalist honors.
“It was a good day,” said Dubsky, who played at Battle Ground twice before. “I had a good driver (Saturday), which worked pretty well with the wind. I had some good putts. It was good. I’m just happy our team did well.”
The Vikings finished second as team. They tied with Lafayette Jeff at 352, but the Bronchos won a fifth-score tiebreaker. Jeff’s Lindsey Burkhardt carded a 97, while Valpo's Mary Rooker shot a 106,
After all the scores were in and being compiled, Chesterton’s Kelly Grassel stood about 20 feet from the scoreboard with a look of nervousness on her face. Grassel shot an 80 -- not even close to her best round -- but the Trojans ended with a team score of 356 to take the third and final team spot for the state finals.
“I was really worried, because I knew I wasn’t going to live with myself,” she said. “I shot a lot worse than I usually do, so I felt like it would have been my fault if I didn’t go.”
Grassel, the defending individual state champion, had problems with the wind, just like most of the field.
“It was a just a challenge, and it’s hard to play in that,” she said.
“This course can be tricky. Our No. 4 player (Taryn Trusty) shot (better than her average) when everybody else was way above their average. She came through for us. We’re going to state, so that’s all that matters.”
Crown Point freshman Tiffany Curtis will get a taste of the state finals, shooting an 86 to finish third in the individual advancement category. She shot a 70 in her practice round, so the 86 was actually a disappointment.
“I feel really thankful,” she said. “I think the experience of going to state will be really good for me. It was really tough just trying to navigate the wind. I knew I wasn’t going to shoot low.”
Lake Central’s Kiana Jongsma advanced with an 84. Teammate Kylie Shoemake shot an 88, surviving a three-way playoff to also advance.
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