MANCHESTER, Tenn. – Beginning her round on the 10th hole, Sarah Dolmovich got Signal Mountain’s girls started in the Class A/AA state high school golf tournament by putting herself in position to make eagle. Although she missed the 25-foot putt, coach Wes Moore said he thought her tap-in birdie helped calm all of his players’ nerves right away.
As a result, the Lady Eagles’ 161 has them in the lead by five shots over Santa Fe after Tuesday’s first round at Willowbrook Golf Club. Notre Dame is in third place among the eight boys’ teams with a total of 314.
Christian Academy of Knoxville junior Kory Webb leads the boys’ field by one stroke with a 3-under-par 69, and CAK freshman Sophia Schubert is eight strokes up on the girls’ side at 2-under 70.
The final round is scheduled to get under way today at 9 a.m. EDT.
The opening round was also set for 9, but Notre Dame coach Jeff Fisher said play was delayed 30 minutes because of frost. Moore said eventually conditions were great, at least when the wind wasn’t gusting.
Dolmovich, a junior, shot 81 and is tied for fifth among the individual girls. Sophomore teammate Haley Davidson played the course in 80 and is tied for third.
Signal Mountain played in the Willowbrook Invitational during the year, and the District 7 tournament also was on the course. Not only were the Lady Eagles district champions, but Davidson, Dolmovich and junior teammate Andi Fisher were the top finishers in that order in the tournament.
“Coming over, I felt confident my girls were among the three or four teams that had a real good chance to win it. We were bringing two girls back that have been through it and done fairly well,” Moore said of Davidson and Dolmovich. “Any time you can go into the second day a little ahead, you’ll take that and be happy with it. They put us in position. Both hit it well.
“We talked about what we want to take place tomorrow, and really it’s boring golf – hit fairways, hit greens and give yourselves a lot of looks at birdies. If not, we’ll take a lot of pars. Hopefully they’ll play as well as they did today.”
Senior Todd Krum sparked Notre Dame’s boys with a 73 that included five birdies.
“He had a bobble here and there, but you can’t complain about a 73,” Coach Fisher said. “He was beating himself up because he could’ve been in the 60s. If I had four shoot 73, it would be all hugs and kisses.”
The Irish trail leader CAK by six strokes. The Warriors are one ahead of Bolivar Central.
“As a group we don’t want to try to do too much,” Fisher said. “It’s going to come down to whoever makes the least amount of mistakes. It can be good if you’re in trouble to take your bogey, take your medicine and move on. We’re not out of it.”