Brophy leads way in 4A

For each of the past five State 4A girls golf tournaments, there’s been a Brophy in the top five.

With Gonzaga Prep senior Annie Brophy – the youngest of three sisters – shooting a first-round 1-over-par 72 for a three-shot lead at Hangman Valley Golf Course, the girls might be saving their best for last.

“I was just hitting the ball pretty well,” said Brophy, who has signed with Notre Dame, where oldest sister Katie is a senior.

“I had a four-putt on a par-3 (a triple-bogey). After that, I was just like, ‘That’s it, I’m going to play well now.’ “

She shot a 35 on the back nine to be in position for a chance at the family’s first individual state championship.

Katie finished third twice, middle daughter Ellie (now at Yale) finished third twice and fourth once and Annie was fourth last year.

“I’m pretty confident with my game,” Brophy said. “We’ll see how it goes (today).”

Kamiak’s Christa Goldie, who finished tied for sixth last year, shot a 75 and will tee off this morning with Brophy and Sadena Parks of Bethel.

Parks’ 34 on the front nine was three shots better than anyone else, but she faltered on the back, shooting a 41.

After Brophy, the next-best scores from GSL golfers came from Lauren Howell of Mead, Molly Fuhs of Lewis and Clark and Sarah Villalovoz of Mead, who were in a four-way tie for eighth at 78.

Other GSL golfers making the cut were: Brittany Wilcox of Mead (81), Allison Moran of LC (82), Katrina Bech of LC (82) and Katie Sorenson of Central Valley (85).

Christine Cho of Kentridge, the defending champion, shot an 11-over 82, 10 shots back.

In the boys tournament, played at The Creek at Qualchan, five players broke par, led by a 5-under 67 by Nick Ellis of Eastmont.

Ellis, the fourth seed from the Big Nine, will be joined in the final group by Andrew Yun of Bellarmine Prep, who shot a 68, and Ellis’ teammate Tyler McDougall, who carded a 69.

Tahoma junior Danny Newton, who started out the tournament with a 2-under 70, also has a shot heading into the final day.

Newton opened with a pair of birdies on the first three holes and finished with a birdie on the uphill par-5 18th hole, with a birdie and two bogeys in between.

“I was pretty nervous on the first few holes, but (the birdies) kind of calmed me down a bit,” Newton said. “I was hitting my driver kind of sideways, but I wasn’t playing very well except for my iron shots.”

Another golfer from Bellarmine Prep, nationally ranked Kyle Stanley, sits four shots back in fifth place.

University freshman Hank Frame was the top local finisher through one day, shooting a 1-over 73 to tie for ninth.

Ferris junior Dustin Poe was the only other local to make the cut, tying for 16th with a 74.

The other six GSL’s participants didn’t make it to the second day.