The five golfers who helped Xavier Prep win its 37th state championship last fall are ready for another adventure, this one on the national scale.
By winning
the title, the Gators were asked to participate in the invitation-only National
High School Golf Association National Tournament for 2021, which is next week
across the sprawling nine-course layout at historic Pinehurst, N.C. The courses
have been the site of numerous PGA and LPGA events, college tournaments, and
the high school tournament that began in recent years.
Teeing it up
for XCP will be Kate Hauptman, who will be a sophomore this fall and was a
third-place overall finisher a year ago, senior-to-be Ivy Song, who was sixth,
sophomore Jayden Jevnick, who was 11th, recently graduated senior
Lauren Garcia, who was 16th, and junior-to-be Annie Dawson, who
finished in a tie for 29th.
Xavier golfers, top to bottom, are Annie Dawson, Lauren Garcia, Kate Hauptman, Jayden Jevnick and Ivy Song. (Xavier photos). |
The
traveling group will be led by Xavier Co-Head Coach Tui Selvaratnam and
assistant coach Jane Ladensack. Xavier Athletic Director and Co-Head Coach Sr.
Lynn Winsor will be unable to attend due to a prior commitment.
The group
will leave this weekend and have practice rounds on Sunday (June 20), Monday
(June 21) and Tuesday (June 22). The tournament, consisting of three rounds,
will be held June 23-25.
Also
representing Arizona in the tournament will be Phoenix Pinnacle, which won this
tournament last season after besting Xavier in the Arizona state tournament in
the fall of 2019. Pinnacle was invited again this year after the Covid pandemic
limited or canceled travel plans for many teams a year ago. Pinnacle finished
as state runner-up behind Xavier last fall.
The tournament will have 49 state champions participating (both boys and girls), with a combined individual list of more than 500 golfers.
“It is an honor for our team to play in this tournament. The girls are thrilled,’’ said Winsor.
She added
that players have been working on their skills practically since the 2020
season ended.
“They have
been playing in AJGA (Arizona Junior Golf Association) tournaments, which
certainly should help,’’ Winsor said.
Selvaratnam
said she played in a tournament at Pinehurst in the mid-2000s and is well aware of the historic
aspect of the area.
“There is a
lot of history,’’ she said. “Many legends have played there, and it will be fun
for our kids to go.’’
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