After winning the 2nd Region Girls’ Golf Tournament in 2018, the Daviess County Lady Panthers have finished second in back-to-back years but with multiple players returning from this year’s squad, the skies not only the limit for DC but several young golfers in the area.
DC’s Holly Holton, along with Owensboro’s Alexa Salamah and Apollo’s Mary Ann Lyons, all qualifed for the KHSAA State Girls’ Golf Tournament next week in Bowling Green as Apollo’s Macey Brown won the tournament title with a 75 after finishing runner-up a year ago.
Lady Panther coach Logan Clark said he was proud of his team’s finish Tuesday as the Lady Maroons won the championship by 16 shots to advance as a team to BG.
“It’s been a weird season,” he said. “Obviously, this past week’s been rough for me and the girls with me not getting to be around … I’m super happy with second as a team. Obviously we wanted first but we had a few that struggled but overall, they pulled together and I would definitely consider it a good day. I’m happy with our performance for sure.”
Clark said he hopes it’s validation for the younger players that if they put in the hard work, they too can succeed and end up at a state tournament like Holton and the other players from recent years.
Holton, along with Addison Heady, Hadleigh Hunter and Kirsten Henderson, all return next season for the Lady Panthers.
The state tournament is scheduled for Oct. 9-10 at Bowling Green Country Club.
Individual qualifiers
Alexa Salamah (Owensboro) 85
The Lady Devil seventh-grader had a great summer on the GO Junior Golf Series and that carried over into her first varsity season for Owensboro.
Salamah carded an 85 to not only lead the Lady Devils but she also gave them their first golfer at the state tourney since 2016 when Ke’Asha Phillips qualified.
But, Salamah isn’t even the first from her family to make it to state as her brother Chris Salamah represented DC in Bowling Green in 2019.
She admitted it’s a good feeling beating her older sibling.
“I was thinking wow, I qualified for state at a younger age than my brother,” she said was her first thought.
Salamah said she didn’t want to worry about how big the moment was and she just wanted to play her game.
“I really wanted to do my best and play it shot by shot instead of focusing on my overall score,” she said.
As of now, Salamah is one of four seventh-graders in the state that have qualified for state as she joins fellow western Kentucky golfers Trinity Beth (Marshall County) and Madison Glisson (McCracken County).
She said she’s not worried about her age going into next week.
“I’m super excited to experience a state tournament,” she said. I played at Bowling Green Country Club one time before and it was a fun and challenging course. Right now I don’t feel nervous, I’m just looking forward to it.”
Holly Holton (Daviess County) 88
Holton and Apollo’s Lyons had to compete in a playoff for two spots with University Heights Academy’s Conlee Lindsey and the local duo prevailed Tuesday.
For Holton, it sets up her third-straight trip to the state tournament.
Holton said earning the right to advance was a great feeling after knowing she hasn’t played her best recently.
“The fact that I qualified for state this year is beyond joyous for me,” she said. “I know this past week I’ve been struggling a lot on my game and I was even still trying to work some things out on the range beforehand. I’m super proud of not only myself but my team as a whole for helping push me and hype me up at every match leading up to it. Most of all I couldn’t do it without my coach, Logan, who was there by my side the whole time during my playoff.”
Holton feels she’s got the middle portion of her game in a good place but knows she needs some help off the tee.
She said getting on the greens at Bowling Green Country Club will help with her short game because they’re not like what she’s accustomed to.
“Today my chipping and irons were really great so I think i will spend this time focusing on my driver and woods,” she said. “Practicing putting is a risky situation considering the state tournament course has very fast greens in contradiction to Ben Hawes. My driver will be my main focus for sure.”
Four of the 12 golfers headed to the state tournament are from the area and Holton said that’s a testament to their hard work.
“I think in our area there is a lot of great talent and that was clear today in the results,” she said. “I’m so proud of all the girls from my hometown who went out and played great today, I know we all worked hard for it.”
Mary Ann Lyons (Apollo) 88
Lyons also prevailed in Tuesday’s playoff and said it took a while for it to settle in that she had qualified.
“It was just unreal,” she said. “I honestly never thought I’d be there but whenever I made it, I couldn’t believe it.”
Lyons, like all the girls’ golfers from the area, hit the links nearly every Tuesday for their weekly match so she became comfortable playing with similar opponents.
She said playing with Holton in the playoff was helpful but she still felt the pressure.
“It was a little easier but it was still pretty nerve wracking because I’m so young so it was kind of weird to be in a playoff,” she said.
Lyons, a freshman, said she’s not only excited for Brown winning the title but she’s also excited to be able to share the state experience with someone.
Brown echoed the sentiment and Lyons said the duo is ready to represent their school.
“I know she was happy and I was happy I was going to get to go with one of my own teammates and represent Apollo,” she said.
Team Scores
1. Madisonville-North Hopkins 344
2. Daviess County 360
3. Hopkinsville 362
4. Muhlenberg County 399
5. Ohio County 399
Top 10
1. Macey Brown (Apollo) 75
2. Kaitlyn Zieba (Madisonville-NH) 79
3. Cate Blane (Hopkinsville) 80
4. Rheagan Lindsey (University Heights Academy) 84
5. Alexa Salamah (Owensboro) 85
6. Anna Fort (Hopkinsville) 86
7. Kate Weir (Madisonville-NH) 86
8. Sydney Brown (Madisonville-NH) 88
9. Holly Holton (Daviess County) 88
10. Mary Ann Lyons (Apollo) 88
