FORT COLLINS — Bethany Buchner’s mission was simple: Win the state title.
With countless numbers of junior golf victories under her belt, the Class 5A championship was one that had eluded the Loveland senior the first three years of her prep career.
On Tuesday, Buchner started four shots back of first-day leader Somin Lee of Overland. As the field began to back up to her, Buchner maintained her steady pace.
Her even-par 72 at Collindale Golf Course was good enough for a two-shot victory over Lakewood’s Andi Hibbert. Lee and Cherry Creek’s Shinwoo Lee were three behind.
“I had a good idea that I was in it,” said Buchner, who will play collegiately at the University of New Mexico. “I didn’t know exactly where I was, but I had a pretty good idea when everybody started to show up.”
Playing two groups in front of Somin Lee and Skyline’s Amy Hodgkinson, Buchner went about her merry way on the front. Word of her 2-under-par 35 on the outward nine began to make waves, and by the time the lead group made the turn, Buchner was in front by one shot.
Not knowing where she stood, and she wanted it that way, Buchner built the lead to as many as three shots on the back nine with a string of pars from Nos. 10-15. Back-to-back bogeys, including a three-putt on No. 17, brought her back to the field momentarily.
“I just wanted to make par, hit in the fairway, hit it on and two-putt,” Buchner said of her thoughts when she finally knew where she stood on the 18th tee.
Hibbert, playing right behind Buchner, made back-to-back birdies at Nos. 13 and 14 and was one shot behind as she stood on the 17th tee. A costly bogey on the 17th all but ruined her chances.
“I had zero idea. I tried to avoid the scoreboards because that was my downfall last year,” said Hibbert, a junior who had no clue her birdie putt at 17 would have tied Buchner for the lead. “I played well, and I’m pretty happy with where I ended up.”
Somin Lee also bogeyed 17 to drop a shot behind and was constantly aware of where she was on the leaderboard. She knew she needed a birdie on 18 to force a playoff, but her second shot was short of the green and her birdie chip rolled well past.
“I think that’s what made me more nervous,” said a distraught and tearful Lee. “I knew I had to make birdie and that was a lot of pressure.”
Hodgkinson’s 77 helped Skyline win its first state title since 2006, when the Falcons completed their run of four consecutive big school championships. Hodgkinson, younger sister Callie, Mikayla Tatman and Gina Larson finished with a team score of 473 — 11 shots better than defending champion Highlands Ranch (484).
“It was our main goal to win and we just played so solid throughout the season, winning 10 out of 11 tournaments,” said Hodgkinson, who will play next season at Florida International. “We just wanted to come in here and rip it up.”
Arapahoe freshman Katy Dyachkova carded her second hole-in-one of the year on the par-3 eighth with an 8-iron.
Jon E. Yunt: 303-954-1354 or jyunt@denverpost.com
