Jaylee Tait works at Raccoon Creek Golf Course, site of the 5A girls state high school tournament. She plays the course pretty much “every day” during the golf season. Her dad, Pat, is the head professional at the facility. Her school, Columbine, is just a half a mile away.
All that considered, it’s no surprise that the senior is in the hunt at the halfway point of the state tournament.
Tait, younger sister of three-time 4A state champion Ashley Tait (who played at Mullen), shot a 3-over-par 75 Monday and shares the lead at Raccoon Creek with sophomore Morgan Sahm of Grandview.
“It’s an advantage and also pressure” playing at Raccoon Creek, said Tait (pictured above). “I mean, senior year, home course. But it certainly gives me a course-management advantage.”
While Tait and Sahm are tied for the top spot, Sarah Hunt from Denver East trails by one after a 76. Meanwhile, many of the pre-tournament favorites struggled some on day 1 of the 36-hole event by carding scores in the high 70s.
Defending champion Calli Ringsby, a Cherry Creek senior who’s signed with Stanford, opened with a 6-over-par 78, the same as Arapahoe senior Hannah Wood, who’s bound for the University of Oklahoma. Wood was 1 under par for the first eight holes, but struggled most of the rest of the way. And Dakota Ridge sophomore Sydney Merchant, winner of last year’s CWGA Junior Match Play, checked in at 77.
All are still very much in contention for the title, but Tait and Sahm are in the driver’s seat.
Tait, who has signed with Montana State, was just 1 over par through 16 holes, but she made a double bogey on 17, where she chipped and then three-putted. For the day, she made two birdies, three bogeys and the double bogey.
“If I would have finished 1 over, that would have put me in a really good position,” Tait said. “Unfortunately I had that bad hole. I really wished I hadn’t doubled that hole.”
Sahm, who qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship as a 14-year-old in 2012, was steady on Monday. She made 15 pars and three bogeys en route to her 75.
The state tournament is a big day for most high school golfers, but like Tait, Merchant has additional reason to try to perform well.
Merchant (pictured at left), who shot 63 to win one tournament this season and 68 to prevail in another, is wrapping up her final high school season in Colorado, even though she’s just a sophomore.
In a week, Merchant’s family is moving to the Orlando, Fla., area so Sydney can play golf year-around, and the 5A state meet is her last Colorado tournament before she bids adieu.
“This is it,” said Merchant, who competed in the 2013 U.S. Women’s Amateur. “I’ve lived here (15 years), practically my whole life” so leaving is difficult. But “I want to go so bad.”
Merchant was far from pleased with her performance on Monday — she was even par through seven holes but went 5 over her last 11 — but she’s still in fourth place. (She tied for third in the 2013 5A state meet as a freshman.)
“I had some rough holes,” she said. “There’s not much to say. My game wasn’t on today.”
Asked if she can rally on Tuesday, she said, “Of course.”
In the 5A team competition, three teams share the lead at 245 after the first day: Legacy, Regis Jesuit and Rock Canyon. Legacy gained a share of the lead despite competing with just three players and not being able to throw out its high score.
Three-time defending state champion Cherry Creek trails the co-leaders by six strokes heading into the final round.
Jefferson Academy’s Kupcho Up by 9 in 4A Meet: Jefferson Academy junior Jennifer Kupcho came into the 4A state tournament with the top golf resume, and she lived up to her billing on Monday.
Kupcho, who’s finished third and second in her previous two state appearances, built a whopping nine-shot advantage after the first round at the Country Club of Colorado in Colorado Springs.
Kupcho, who competed in four USGA championships in 2013 and was named the CWGA Junior Player of the Year, shot an even-par 72 on Monday and was the only player to break 80. The Wake Forest recruit made three birdies and three bogeys in the opening round. Kupcho is part of the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program at CommonGround Golf Course.
Mariah Ehrman, a Jefferson Academy teammate of Kupcho, and Valor Christian’s Andrea Ballou share second place at 81.
In the 4A team race, Montrose leads with a 267 total. Defending champion Cheyenne Mountain holds down second place at 270.
For the state high school scores, click on these links: 5A, 4A.
