Rolling the rock
- Updated: May 2, 2017
White Plains’ Dyar makes three long birdie putts en route to becoming sectional medalist; White Plains, Alexandria, PV and Weaver all advance to sub-state
By East Alabama Sports Today
GUNTERSVILLE – The two parts of her game Hanna Dyar has worked on the hardest this season have been the short game and the mental game that goes with it.
Both elements played significant roles Tuesday in helping her win low medalist and lead the White Plains girls to the Class 4A-5A Section 3 team championship at Gunters Landing Golf Club.
Dyar shot an 80 that was highlighted by three birdie putts of 50 feet or longer and one sharp wedge that produced what Lady Wildcats coach Chris Randall called a “heroic” bogey that was the turning point in her run for the medal.
Dyar’s 80 was four shots clear of runnerup Abby Stevens of Alexandria and led the Lady Wildcats to a 278 total that was 11 shots better than the Lady Cubs. White Plains also counted a 93 from Lexee Cunningham and a 105 from Baylie Webb.
“I played OK; it wasn’t great,” Dyar said. “The short game is the most important part and I definitely excelled in that today. I didn’t hit my driver good at all, but the short game always saves you.”
In recent weeks Dyar has played with an approach of just getting long putts close enough to comfortably tap in what remained when they didn’t go. But a few sessions with former Jacksonville State All-American Jeff Jordan had her thinking about making from anywhere and she just about did Tuesday.
With older sister Layne, last year’s sectional and substate medalist, following in the gallery, Hanna made two 65-foot bombs for birdies and a 50-footer for another. The first one, on No. 7, Randall stepped off at 22 paces.
The first one left her feeling if she played her game she had a chance to win. When the second one dropped on No. 15 she thought her hard work was paying off. When another fell on the next hole she’s thinking “I’m going to state.”
“The past couple tournaments I’ve noticed I’ve been thinking I’ve got to get it close and tap it in,” Dyar said. “Today I was thinking I’ve got to be confident in my stroke and that’s what I brought today, confidence.
“Basically, it’s not my stroke, it’s my mental game. I need to think about making the putt instead of not three-putting. Both my coaches told me the same thing, that you need to be confidence and trust your work. I fixed my mental game today.”
For all the long putts she made, the biggest shot of her round was a wedge on the par-5 13th that helped her salvage a bogey from the water with Stevens threatening to take her lead.
Dyar seemed to be cruising along, but Stevens cut four shots off the lead on 11 and 12 and was within one as they stood on the 13th tee. Stevens made the green in 3, but Dyar dumped her third shot in the water. She dropped 4, then hit a wedge from 70 yards to two feet and makes it for a six. Stevens then three-putted for bogey and Dyar maintained the lead.
“She could’ve lost the lead right there, but didn’t,” Randall said. “Sometimes golf is about making the best out of a bad situation. She could’ve easily made 8, but she makes a 6 – a heroic 6 – that was the turning point in the round.”
Both county teams will take extra players to the sub-state at Goose Pond next week. White Plains’ Abby Gattis and Alexandria’s Haili Turner qualified as individuals. Turner made it thought a sudden-death playoff; she birdied the first playoff hole to grab the final spot.
CLASS 1A-3A GIRLS SECTION 3: Hope Cone shot 74 and all four Westbrook Christian’s players posted rounds of 88 or better as the Lady Warriors ran away with the section crown. Individual runner-up Lauren Cole of Glencoe (80) was the only other player in the field to break 100 at Silver Lakes.
Cone’s round was highlighted by three birdies; she played the Heartbreaker 9 in even par. Cole stumbled out of the gate, but after an opening double-bogey played the rest of the Mindbreaker 9 in even par with a birdie at the challenging eighth hole.
Westbrook, Glencoe, Pleasant Valley and Weaver all were guaranteed places in next week’s sub-state tournament. Sacred Heart’s Abbie Vingers, Spring Garden’s Alyssa Gilley, Westbrook’s Anna Nichols and Cedar Bluff’s Russell Givens all advanced as individual qualifiers.
CLASS 6A SECTION 2 BOYS: Stanhope’s Atharv Argade shot a brilliant 65 at Saugahatchee CC to win medalist honors and Homewood posted three rounds in the 70s to win the sectional team title. Oxford shot 346 as a team, 13 shots behind the fourth qualifying spot. Jake Munroe’s 83 was the Yellow Jackets’ low round.
CLASS 4A-5A GIRLS SECTION 3
Tuesday, at Gunters Landing
Team scores
x-White Plains 278
x-Alexandria 289
x-Sylacauga 318
x-Etowah 351
Guntersville 358
Hokes Bluff 375
Sardis 432
Individual scores
Hanna Dyar, WP 80
Abby Stevens, Alex 84
Lexee Cunningham, WP 93
y-Robyn Blakey, Leeds 88
y-Sydney Hanson, Boaz 98
Gracie Muncher, Alex 99
Lindsey Gordon, Syl 101
Baylie Webb, WP 105
Megan Harvey, Alex 106
Caitlyn McTier, Syl 107
y-Abby Gattis, WP 107
z-Haili Turner, Alex 109
Victoria Annie Ozment, Cburg 109
Madelyn Friday, Syl 110
Miranda Nassif, Eto 110
Amber Bigelow, HB 110
Caitlin Lewis, WP 111
Olivia Bolton, Syl 112
Kaina Griffith, Eto 112
Allison Arenth, WP 115
Alexis Parker, Boaz 115
Alex White, Syl 116
Claire Coker, Gville 116
Caitlin Roland, Jville 116
Ashley Kelley, Syl 119
Hope Harrell, Gville 120
Ary Rosario, WP 121
Destiny Heathcock, Alex 122
Hannah Muse, Gville 122
Dallas Duncan, Val 122
Marin Lowe, HB 128
Carly Campbell, Eto 129
Emolee Milligan, Gville 129
Zena Roden, Sard 133
Abagail Reeves, HB 137
Ivy Roberts, Sard 142
Sage Jackson, Val 142
Kayla Walker, Doug 147
Kerigan Wills, Sard 157
x-team qualifiers
y-individual qualifiers
z-birdied first playoff hole for final individual spot
CLASS 1A-3A GIRLS SECTION 3
Tuesday, at Silver Lakes
Team scores
x-Westbrook Christian 246
x-Glencoe 342
x-Pleasant Valley 348
x-Weaver 452
Individual scores
Hope Cone, WC 74
Lauren Cole, Glen 80
Ellie Porter, WC 85
Sydney Fairchild, WC 87
Gracie Guyton, WC 88
Lauren Cobb, PV 104
y-Abbie Vingers, SacH 107
Abby Powell, Glen 113
Sarah Ford, PV 116
y-Alyssa Gilley, SprG 120
y-Anna Nichols, WC 121
y-Russell Givens, CB 124
Lauren Weaver, WC 125
Gabby Fagan, PV 128
Kallie Ingram, ValH 129
Gracie Davis, PV 130
Marlie Wright, PV 134
Cara Burgess, Wea 141
Kelsey Draper, Pisg 149
Camryn Blackwell, Glen 149
Ella Floyd, Pied 149
Autumn Ray, Wea 153
Carmella Reese, Wea 158
Marlee Wall, Wea 169
x-team qualifiers
y-individual qualifiers
CLASS 6A BOYS SECTION 2
Tuesday, at Saugahatchee CC, Opelika
Team scores
x-Homewood 302
x-Stanhope 313
x-Benjamin Russell 321
x-Chilton County 333
Pell City 336
Oxford 346
Individual scores
Atharv Argade, Stan 65
Conner Doyal, Home 72
y-Dylan Ford, Home 73
Jack Goldasich, Home 74
Ben Harris, Home 76
y-Dylan Sampsell, Chel 76
Dylan Moncus, BR 77
Cole Headley, CC 77
Kade Wooten, Stan 78
Owen Burt, Stan 78
Matthew Cush, BR 79
y-Sawyer Stice, PC 79
y-Josh Holland, Home 79
Others
Jake Munroe, Ox 83
Will Turley, Ox 85
Keaton Borrelli, Ox 86
Jeremy Allen, Ox 92
Jackson Fillingim, Ox 103
x-team qualifiers
y-individual qualifiers
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