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SARATOGA SPRINGS — Crimson Cliffs' Kate Walker did enough in Wednesday's first round of the 4A state golf tournament to repeat for an individual championship, but Cedar's girls team had work to do for the team title.
But that's nothing new for the Reds.
Taylyn Wilson finished fifth, and senior RaeLee Johnson was tied for seventh as Cedar overturned a 13-stroke deficit to win its first UHSAA girls golf state title by four strokes Thursday afternoon at TalonsCove.
"All season, they've all given me really good scores. That's all I asked of them," Cedar coach Laycee Johnson said. "I said, you don't need to do anything out of the ordinary today. All you guys have to do is play your game and give me the same scores you've given me every tournament. They had it in them."
Green Canyon finished second with a two-day total of 110-over 686, followed by Crimson Cliffs (687), Ridgeline (716) and Dixie (735).
Walker, the reigning 4A medalist, totaled six birdies and an eagle en route to a 7-under 65 that paced the Mustangs to a six-shot lead over Green Canyon after 18 holes. That score would've ranked tied for second in the Utah High School Activities Association record book for an 18-hole state meet event and topped her personal best in a non-state meet event by one stroke.
Pine View's Alyssa Butterfus (74) and Green Canyon's Avery Parker and Orem's Kaylee Westfall (77) were next behind Walker on the individual leaderboard.
"Yesterday, every putt was going in. I was hitting stuff close. There were eagles chances, and so many birdies," said Walker, who will begin the process of committing to college in June when the NCAA allows her. "Today was definitely harder. I think it's the hardest to come back after your best round ever to play again, and to do anything close to it.
"I feel like I put in more time and work than anyone. I just put in a lot of work."
Walker was scarcely threatened through Thursday's final round. The sophomore opened with a bogey and added a double bogey on the par-4, 334-yard fifth hole, but pulled one back with a birdie on the par-5, 506-yard seventh and had just one other bogey until she got into some trouble on No. 18.
That's when the sophomore struck it uneven off the tee, finished with a double bogey on the short par-4. Walker finished at 2-under, 11 shots better than Westfall for medalist honors.
But Cedar used the momentum to cut into Crimson Cliffs' lead, and eventually surmount it.
The Mustangs opened the round with a 13-shot lead on second-place Cedar, but the Reds took a one-stroke lead through 15 and never looked back.
"Yesterday, the last four holes, the wind was brutal on us. But they never gave up," Johnson said. "I think that was a bit of why we were so far back. But they never stopped believing.
"We focused a lot this year on the mental game. They had the talent when they came in March; we had worked for them for two years. But I knew if I could get them mentally strong, nothing was going to stop them today."
4A girls golf state meet
TalonsCove Golf Course
Top-10 teams
- Cedar, 347-335 — 682
- Green Canyon, 340-346 — 686
- Crimson Cliffs, 334-353 — 687
- Ridgeline, 371-345 — 716
- Dixie, 362-373 — 735
- Park City, 371-365 — 736
- Pine View, 368-379 — 747
- Bear River, 375-382 — 757
- Uintah, 380-384 — 764
- Tooele, 384-390 — 774
Top 10 individuals
- Kate Walker, Crimson Cliffs — 142
- Kaylee Westfall, Orem — 153
- Alyssa Butterfus, Pine View — 155
- Avery Parker, Green Canyon — 156
- Taylyn Wilson, Cedar — 162
- Brynlee Bandley, Crimson Cliffs — 163
- Stacie Phelps, Dixie; Lexi Leavitt, Crimson Cliffs, RaeLee Johnson, Cedar — 165
- Randee Tormondsen, Stansbury; Tylee Bennett, Bear River — 166
