Paired with Madison Central and Madisonville-North Hopkins, the Lady Marshals first tee time on Tuesday at the KHSAA State Golf Championships at Bowling Green Country Club off of hole #1 was Cecelia Ray at 7:45 a.m., followed by Katie Roberts, Savannah Howell, Trinity Beth and Megan Hertter.
The 2020 State Champion Lady Marshals are favored to win the team title once again and join two other teams that went back-to-back over the past six years – Lexington Christian did it in 2018-2019 and Sacred Heart in 2016-2017.
Madison Central is expected to be the biggest threat to Marshall County but after they wrapped up the first day of play, the Lady Marshals held a 20 stroke lead heading Wednesday’s second round of play.
Howell and Beth lead the Lady Marshals at +3, Hertter is +5 and Ray and Roberts are both +7 going into Wednesday.
Howell was 1-under par after the front nine with one bogey and two birdies. The back nine proved a little more difficult with a double-bogey on #11 but the senior followed that up with a birdie on #12. She finished up the round with three pars and three bogeys.
Beth was 3-over after her first seven holes but fired off two birdies on #8 and #9 to make the turn at 1-over par. Two bogeys and seven pars on the back nine rounded out her opening 18 holes at Bowling Green Country Club.
Hertter was 3-over after her first three holes but the senior parred the next five holes and birdied #9 before turning for the back nine which she opened with a birdie on #10. Four pars and four bogeys followed to finish her first day at 5-over.
Ray was 2-over heading on the front nine on Tuesday and played her back nine 5-over in her first trip to the state tournament as a seventh grader. Roberts also finished round one at +7. After starting her day off with a double-bogey, she settled in and mixed in a couple of birdies on the front nine.
Play was suspended in the afternoon, leaving a few players left to finish their rounds on Wednesday morning at 7:00 a.m.
Currently, Howell and Beth are tied for eighth, Hertter tied at 10th, Ray and Roberts are both tied at 17th.