Stackhouse’s closing 66 gives her the girls’ title

The smallest golfers competing in the Ringgold Telephone Company Junior Classic proved an old golf axiom.

It’s not how far you hit. It’s how straight you hit it, and how close you get it.

Three of the five youngest, and most diminutive, girls in the field claimed the top three spots as the AJGA tournament ended Thursday.

Combined, their age is younger than Fred Couples and their combined weight may not top John Daly on the scale.

Mariah Stackhouse, a rising high school sophomore from Riverdale, Ga., shot the best round of the tournament Thursday, a 4-under-par 66, to claim the girls’ championship with a 3-under 207.

“It seemed like everything fell when I needed it to fall, and I made close putts and long ones up to 30 feet,” said Stackhouse, who won the Georgia Class AAAA high school state championship last month. “Everything was working well today.”

Shannon Aubert, who will be a freshman in Championsgate, Fla., this fall, finished second at 209. Karen Chung finished third at 212 before driving about 16 hours home to Livingston, N.J.

Isable Lendl, the 6-foot daughter of tennis legend Ivan Lendl, began the day tied for first but triple-bogeyed No. 15 (her sixth hole of the day) and finished fourth at 213 after a 2-over Thursday.

Jordan Britt finished 18th at 233, which topped the Chattanooga-area girls.

Stackhouse made eight birdies and four bogeys Thursday. She pulled ahead with three straight birdies in her first eight holes and finished the tournament with a birdie on the long, uphill ninth hole.

“Mariah played very well and probably should have shot 63 today,” Lendl said. “She won the tournament today. You would have to play perfect golf to keep up with her today.”