ANDERSON — The seventh and eighth holes at The Edge Golf Club look like innocent enough par-threes to most golfers. For Lapel junior Kristen Hobbs, they have always been her Achilles’ heel.
Until Saturday, Sept. 23.
Hobbs avoided disaster at those holes, completed the front nine at even par, and overcame a short struggle on the back nine to shoot a 74 at regional and qualify for the state golf meet at Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel.
Hobbs will be in the first threesome of the Friday, Sept. 29, first round with an 8:39 a.m. tee time. The second round will be played Saturday, Sept. 30, beginning at 8:30 a.m.
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Her score was the fourth-best overall round of the regional and made her the top individual qualifier to come out of the Lapel regional. The top three scores belong to players who moved on as part of a team.
Two Pendleton Heights players, sophomore Danielle Tinsley and senior Kiersten Maxwell, also competed as individuals but did not advance. Tinsley shot an 86, which was the sixth-best score among individuals, while Maxwell came in with a 107.
Hobbs, who came to the tee at No. 7 at one under par, managed to get through the next two holes with bogeys before a birdie on No. 9 got her to the turn at even par. For the first-time state qualifier, it was a relief to get through her difficult part of the course in good shape.
“The front nine I played really good,” Hobbs said. “Even is really good.”
Battling the elements — the temperature had soared into the low 90s with high humidity — Hobbs struggled at the outset of the back nine. She bogeyed the next three holes before catching her breath and settling down.
“I got on my bogey streak there on 10, 11 and 12,” she said. “I think the heat kind of got to me. But I told myself that I needed to get back in there because I was giving the field shots that I couldn’t give them.”
Her inner conversation paid off as Hobbs did not give any more shots away, parring the remaining holes.
Lapel golf coach Molly Bays said Hobbs will be well prepared for the state finals atmosphere.
“She has played in some difficult tournaments this summer against college girls,” Bays said. “She’s got plenty of experience, she’s level-headed and she thinks through all of her shots.”
As a sophomore, Hobbs missed advancing to state by three strokes. This year, she is looking forward to competing at state but is muting expectations.
“It’s going to be a new experience,” she said. “I’m just going to go out and try my best. I don’t know what’s going to happen with nerves and all that stuff.”
Tinsley, paired with Hobbs, made the turn at 11 over par, but the front nine included one moment of brilliant play.
The sophomore made a 15-foot putt to save par at the fourth hole and went on to play the back nine at just five over par. While her tee shots were accurate throughout the day, she said nerves played a part in her iron play, which was the part of her game that betrayed her on occasions.
“After my tee shots, I felt pretty good,” Tinsley said. “But my iron shots, I was hitting them good yesterday, but today, I don’t know. I just wasn’t keeping my head down enough, and I couldn’t keep them on the green, which is what I needed to do.”
Maxwell also struggled on the front nine but shot a 46 on the back. Arabian coach Hilary Slick said she was proud of the way both players battled through the heat.
“Neither one is really pleased because of their front nine,” Slick said. “I’m pleased with them — I was worried about Danielle, but an 86 here is awesome for her. I think they’re glad they came, and they represented.”