COLORADO SPRINGS — Salida junior Emily Wood turned in a machine-like second round Tuesday to win the one crown she has coveted — the Colorado Class 4A girls golf championship, the 26th title since she first teed it up for the Spartans as a freshman.
Wood, who has a Tiger cover on her driver, blew away the field on a windy day at Patty Jewett Golf Course with a 75-77—152 total for a seven-stroke victory.
“I’m freaking out,” an emotional Wood said. “I’m so happy.”
Wood led wire to wire. She was 4-over-par for the tournament and handled each part of her game with equal aplomb.
She made the turn Tuesday at 1-over, boosted by a brilliant sand save on her ninth hole. Wood smelled victory coming home, playing smartly by leaving her approaches below the hole five consecutive times that resulted in two-putt pars. On her 33rd hole of the tournament, she made double bogey, then turned in back-to-back birdies.
Never mind she three-putted her final green. Her victory was convincing.
“She had been hoping for this,” Salida coach Cory Smith said. “She finished strong. It was key this year that she had the good first day.”
The past two seasons, when Wood finished sixth, she took herself out of contention early.
But her consistency off the tee and from the fairway were too much for the rest of the field.
“This is huge for me,” Wood said. “I’ve known since the first year I’ve played this that I could win it.”
Regis freshman Kathleen Kershisnik is another underclassman to watch. She got within three shots of Wood early and secured runner-up honors with a birdie on her 17th hole. She tied Wood for low score of the round by going 3-over.
Molly Dorans of Broomfield was third (162), including a 79 on Tuesday. Playing in a group with Kershisnik, Dorans dropped a 50-foot putt for eagle on her next-to-last hole.
Kent Denver’s Olivia Garard and Evergreen’s Christina Spinzig tied for fourth (163). Spinzig trailed by a stroke after the opening round, then ballooned to an 87. The 2008 state champion, Elizabeth Kresock of Colorado Academy, never got going. She went 85-85—170.
Rock Canyon (262-254 —516) beat first-round leader Salida and Cheyenne Mountain for the team title.
The Jaguars’ Alexandra Pedrinan (170) and Allie John-ston and Carlie McAlister (each at 173) lived in the 80s.
“The girls kept going and didn’t give up after a couple of shaky holes,” Rock Canyon coach Dave Vahling said.
Cheyenne Mountain and Salida tied at 525.
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
