The Dade County girls’ golf team achieved a pair of firsts this week at the GHSA Class A Division I state tournament at Arrowhead Pointe Golf Club.
The Lady Wolverines, after not having enough athletes to compete in the area tournament a year ago, finished as the state runner-up to Banks County while also producing the first individual champion in program history.
Sophomore Rylee Brown shot a second-day round of 76, the lowest score of any competitor, to move from eighth place after day one in Elberton to a tie with Model’s Georgia Womack at 165 after regulation. Brown won the title on the second hole of the sudden-death playoff with a par as Womack’s par attempt just missed.
Coach Alicia Bell called the performances by her team and Brown “two of the greatest accomplishments in Dade County golf history” and said they capped “a truly memorable season” as the Lady Wolverines went undefeated in nine-hole matches and 18-hole tournaments, including their area championship victory.
“For Rylee, the turnaround (at state) was striking, going from tears of disappointment after day one to tears of elation just 24 hours later,” Bell added. “It was a powerful reminder of how quickly momentum, mindset and belief can change in the game of golf.”