All three Republic golfers posted season-best scores, and two of them qualified for the state tournament with top ten finishes at the sectional tournament at Marshfield Country Club Monday. Baylee Rayl shot a 5-over-par 75 to finish 4th overall, and Bailey Cornelison shot a nine-over-par 79 to finish tied for ninth. Both earned spots in the state tournament next week.
Haley Smith also put together the best round of her season, shooting an 88. She missed qualifying for state by only one stroke.
Coach Curt Plotner says all three Lady Tigers had their best days of the season, but Cornelison’s round was the biggest surprise. She beat her previous best score by 15 strokes.
“Obviously, I thought Bailey Cornelison would have to play as well as she could play to have a shot (at state),” says Plotner. “Did I see her shooting 79? No, but I could see her shooting 85 if she put it all together. So 79 was a great surprise.”
Haley Smith, despite not qualifying for state, still beat her previous best score by nine shots. Even Rayl, who has been the team leader all season, shaved two shots off her previous best score of the year.
Plotner says especially for Cornelison and Smith, their mental outlook coming into the day helped them post strong performances.
“They didn’t really have any expectations. They were pretty loose, they just played really well,” he says.