NWC duo in the hunt
In golf, one bad hole can ruin your day.
Lianne Matkin wasn’t about to let that happen.
Matkin responded to an 8 on the 11th hole Tuesday with a birdie on the 12th and shot a 3-over-par 75 on the first day of the State 1A/B girls golf tournament at Esmeralda Golf Course.
Matkin, a senior at Northwest Christian, will begin today’s final round in second place, one stroke behind Okanogan’s Cortny Shrout and one ahead of teammate Krystal Pitkonen.
But Matkin’s day could have been much, much worse.
After making the turn with a 1-over 37 and parring the 10th, Matkin hit a strong drive on No. 11. She pulled her second shot right of the green and wasn’t sure if she’d find it, so she took a drop and hit a provisional ball just in case. But rather than attempt to find and play her original shot, she played out the provisional ball. After three-putting for an eight she found her original ball, took a drop and shot a 7. But since she played out her provisional ball, the 8 stood.
“I made a mistake,” Matkin said. “I finished my provisional ball when I should have hit it once then went to find my (original) ball. … It was frustrating, but I know now not to play the ball. I’m glad I got it out of the way (today).”
The quadruple bogey could have sent Matkin into a spiral. But instead she responded with a tee shot on the par-3 12th to within 25 feet. She accentuated her birdie put with an emphatic, “Come on!”
“I wanted it so bad,” said Matkin, who is heading to Western Washington in the fall on a golf scholarship.
With two people in the top three, NWC is in good position to defend its team title.
Tekoa-Oakesdale’s Casey Smith (87) was the only other area golfer to make the cut.
On the boys’ side, last year’s State 1A runner-up is in control at Liberty Lake Golf Course.
Life Christian’s Andrew Putnam finished the day with four birdies and a double-bogey en route to a 2-under 68 to take a four-stroke lead over Seattle Christian’s Cory Peterson.
Last year’s state champion, Jason Azzarito of Kettle Falls, was six strokes off the pace after shooting a 74.
•Four players, including a pair from Northwest Christian, sit atop the leaderboard in the State B boys golf championship at Liberty Lake.
Crusaders John Graham, who took second last year, and Jared Descoteaux each shot 5-over 75s to share the first-day lead. Bridgeport’s Jayde Evans and Masters Touch’s Craig Crawford also shot 75s.
Last year’s third-place finisher, Jeff Kettman of Bear Creek School, was fifth, one shot back with a 76.
Wilbur-Creston’s Michael Johnson was sixth, three shots behind the leaders after shooting a 78.