Think the pressure of winning a second straight Group AA title is going to get to Blacksburg’s Courtney Ellenbogen?
Not a chance. Not when you’ve rubbed shoulders with the best women golfers in the world and come within one shot of possibly playing the third round of the U.S. Women’s Open with Annika Sorenstam.
Ellenbogen sits three shots out of the lead in Bluefield after a first round 72 Monday which included a two-shot penalty for hitting from an improper tee box on the front nine.
“The tees were just a little bit apart and I hit off the wrong one,” she said. “I wasn’t paying attention. It wasn’t a good mistake, but you have to keep playing or you’ll really screw up the round.”
That mistake would unnerve most golfers to the point where they would fall out of contention. Not Ellenbogen, who has plenty of reference points for those rare tough times.
For instance, this summer, when after advancing out of sectionals to reach the U.S. Women’s Open, Ellenbogen shot a more-than-respectable 5-over par over 36 holes, missing the cut by one shot.
“That was pretty tough,” she said. “There’s always strokes out there you’d [like] to take back that would have made the difference. I still feel like I represented myself well.”
Sorenstam made the cut on the number, meaning had Ellenbogen also made the third round, she could have played with Sorenstam. At the very least, the 16-year old high school junior can boast of nearly matching the 36-hole score of her sport’s most recognizable player.
“It was good to play with some of the best players in the world,” Ellenbogen said. “It helped my mindset of shooting low scores.”
Ellenbogen may not defend her state title tomorrow, but the odds are if someone wins it, they’ll have to earn it.
After all, if you’ve stood up to a USGA-prepared course, why crumble when you’re playing for a state title?
Chip Shots
While the Fincastle Country Club course earned respect for its tight fairways and fast greens, event organizers scored a clear double bogey when they forced players to pay $7 for the privilege of going through a buffet line.
It’s one thing to make fans, coaches or even media members shell out money to shuffle through a buffet. It’s ludricrous to make the players, who are the reason you’re putting on the event in the first place, dip into their wallets.
One player was so astounded by being asked for $7 that he just threw down his plate and walked away. Golf is supposed to be a gentleman’s sport, but it’s hard to blame him for that outburst.
It should be pointed out that at least four other prep tournaments, including the Group A Tournament in Botetourt County, set up buffets for players, officials and media and didn’t feel the need to charge for the privilege of eating.
Wonder if Fincastle would charge Tiger Woods if he wanted a quick bite between nines?