Nine golfers who finished in the top 10 at last year’s girls 5A state high school tournament had to take a back seat Tuesday to a player who didn’t crack the top 30 in 2011.
Cherry Creek junior Mackenzie Cohen, who shot 93 in the first round of the 5A state tourney last spring, posted a score 26 strokes better in the final round of this year’s meet en route to an improbable victory Tuesday at Aurora Hills Golf Course.
Cohen (pictured at left), who’s been the No. 3 or 4 player for the Bruins most of the season, fired a 5-under-par 67 Tuesday to earn by far the biggest victory of her career. Her final round included seven birdies in a span of nine holes as she shot the best score of her life — by seven strokes.
‘”It was fun,” the 17-year-old said. “I love playing like that. I just like being out there.”
Cohen’s 3-under-par 141 total gave her a one-shot victory over Rock Canyon senior Allie Johnston, the CWGA Junior Player of the Year in 2011. Johnston also closed with a 67. Arapahoe sophomore Hannah Wood placed third at 143.
The top 10 was filled with many of the same players as last year. In fact, seven golfers who made the top 10 in 2011 did so again on Tuesday. But they couldn’t keep up with Cohen, who finished 33rd at state a year ago.
Asked if she came into the tournament with any expectations of winning, Cohen said, “No, no. I have not played very well at state before so that’s by far the best I’ve ever done.”
Talk about a meteoric rise.
The middle of Cohen’s round set her apart from the pack. In the nine-hole stretch starting on No. 5, she made seven birdies and two pars, sinking many a long putt in the process. Then to keep her momentum going, she drained a 15-foot par save on No. 15.
“I felt good,” said Cohen, who also led Cherry Creek to the team title. “I usually play pretty relaxed. I was just making a lot of putts I guess. … I was just playing how I usually play and it seemed to be working.
“It didn’t really hit me until the 15th or 16th hole. I tried to stay calm and keep playing my game.”
Cohen said she didn’t come close to winning any invitational tournaments this season, but she certainly picked the right time to have her career round.
“I’ve been working pretty hard” on my game, she said. “I’ve worked on my short game a lot. That was my biggest weakness, and (the work) paid off today.”
Johnston (pictured at left), competing in her final high school tournament before moving on to play college golf at Texas-San Antonio, made quite a surge of her own. She posted seven birdies Tuesday, but a missed 3-foot par putt on No. 15 proved costly.
“I was trying to birdie every hole,” she said matter-of-factly. “I figured eventually that would probably get me to a good number.
“I did my best and I was happy I was beat and didn’t just give it away or anything. It feels good still. That was my best score ever (67). I can’t be upset with it.”
This is the second runner-up finish for Johnston in the state high school tournament. She also placed second in 2010, in Class 4A.
Cohen and Johnston led a torrid scoring day for several of the leaders. Four scores in the 60s were posted on Friday, with Cherry Creek’s Calli Ringsby (68 for a share of fourth place) and Highlands Ranch’s Patricia Lee (69 for fourth place) joining in the fun.
One player who may look back on Tuesday with some “what ifs” in her mind is first-round co-leader Shannon Lubar of Chatfield. She finished tied for fourth place, three out of the top spot, but she four-putted twice in the final round. Especially painful was a four-putt from 4 feet that resulted in a triple bogey on No. 6.
With an impressive 9-under-par total of 207 for its top three players on Tuesday, Cherry Creek won its second consecutive state team title — and record ninth overall in girls golf. Creek’s 3-under 429 total was 14 strokes better than 2010 champion Arapahoe. Fairview (461) was third.
Schroeder Rallies to Earn 4A Title in a Playoff: Senior Bryce Schroeder of Pueblo South, the runner-up in the 4A state tournament last year, moved up to the top spot in 2012 on Tuesday with her come-from-behind victory at Boomerang Golf Links in Greeley.
After tying Regis Jesuit’s Kathleen Kershisnik in regulation with a 65-foot birdie putt on No. 18 that left her at 3-under-par 143, Schroeder claimed the title with a birdie on the second playoff hole. Schroeder will play college golf at Wichita State.
The University of Wyoming-bound Kershisnik — who has finished second twice at state and third and fourth once each — bogeyed three of the last five holes in regulation to end up in the playoff. She shot a 73 on Tuesday, while Schroeder carded a 71. Jennifer Kupcho of Jefferson Academy (71-144) took third place.
In the team race, Regis won its second 4A state title in the last three years. Its 454 total was 13 strokes better than defending champion Pueblo South.
For scores, CLICK HERE FOR 5A and CLICK HERE FOR 4A.
