Facing the best golfers in the state, Valeria Vargas more than proved she belonged Tuesday afternoon at Willowbrook Golf Course. The Lady Pioneer senior remains in contention for a state title as her 4-over, 76 put her in a three-way tie for 10th place after the first day of the TSSAA state golf tournament.
Maintaining a top-10 spot was Vargas’ goal going into the match, though she knows she has work to do in Wednesday’s final round.
“I played very well. I kept the ball in the fairways and hit the greens in regulation,” said Vargas. “The hope is to improve from my opening score in the final round.”
Franklin County's Malia Stovall, who finished fourth in 2016, paced the field by shooting a 6-under, 66. Jayna Choi, from Houston High School, was the only other golfer to finish in the red, turning in a 1-under, 71. Bail Park (Houston), Karson Adkins (McNairy Central) and Catherine Caudill (Rossview) finished in a three-way tie for third at even.
Competing on a course she has played many times, Vargas came out of the gate strong. Teeing off on the back nine, Vargas mitigated a first-hole bogey on No. 10 with a birdie on the par-5, No. 12.
Back-to-back bogeys on No. 13 and 14 slowed the Lady Pioneers’ progress, but Vargas got back on track by easily navigating the dog-leg left No. 15 for a par. The senior showed off her ability to play long or short on the next two holes, carding pars on the par-5, No. 16 and the par-3, No. 17.
When Vargas made the turn following a bogey on No. 18, she held sole position of 10th – a position her coach J.W. Holt felt was a goal for the day.
“Valeria wants to finish in the top 10 and knew it was going to take two days of scores in the 74-76 range,” said Holt. “She’s playing with a lot of confidence and she prepared herself well.”
Her confidence was evident when she made the turn and took aim at the front nine.
Staring down a wide-open fairway on No. 1, Vargas blasted her tee shot. A great approach shot left the senior with a manageable birdie putt, one she dropped in the cup for her second birdie.
Vargas didn’t run into her first issue until No. 6. Her tee shot wasn’t able to clear the water, leaving her having to take a drop after finding the water hazard. Despite her best efforts after the errant tee shot, Vargas dropped two strokes on the hole.
Determined to get back in the mix, Vargas finished strong with two birdies on her final three holes. Vargas continued her mastery of par-5s – she was 1-under on the four long holes – by using a big drive to get book a birdie on No. 7.
Vargas narrowly missed an eagle on her final hole. Vargas hit her approach just inches from the pin, eliciting a big cheer from the clubhouse crowd. The tap-in for birdie ended Vargas’ day with a pair of 38s, leaving her 10 strokes behind Stovall.
The last hole, especially the wedge shot on the approach, was a nice synopsis of how Vargas played.
“I felt like my iron shots were working for me, especially my 56-degree wedge,” said Vargas. “I was 65 yards out on the last hole and dropped it within a foot of the pin.”
She sandwiched the two late birdies around a bogey on the par-3, No. 8.
Vargas will try to close ground on the leaders Wednesday when she takes part in the final round of the state tournament. Vargas will begin play at 8:40 a.m.