The two International Falls girls golfers who qualified for state last year ended up in a playoff against each other Wednesday at Giants Ridge to decide who would return for the second year in a row.
Falls seniors Malinda Porter and Kelly Blair both had 36-hole scores of 197 and were in a tie for the fifth and final individual state qualifier in the Section 7AA meet after day two.
In the first hole of the playoff on a par three, both golfers reached the green on their tee shots. Porter two-putted for par and Blair three-putted for a bogey to give Porter the playoff victory.
Falls head coach Bill Mason said the end of the Section meet was “bittersweet” with one Bronco golfer qualifying for state and another missing an opportunity to do so in a playoff.
Blair, who had been one of only eight Section 7AA golfers to have shot below 100 after 18 holes on day one last week, went into day two with a 97 — 7 strokes ahead of both Porter and senior teammate Alyssa Bergstrom at 104.
Mason said Blair was a “little bit off her game” when she ended up with a 100 for the final 18 holes, while Porter had a 93.
The top-two individual scores were recorded by golfers from Hermantown, which qualified its entire team by winning the Section 7AA meet with the lowest total team score for 36 holes of 737, 58 strokes ahead of the Falls in the runner-up spot at 795.
Hermantown senior Olivia Tusa won individual medalist honors at 158 with senior teammate Callie Wilson coming in second at 161. Wilson finished first at last year’s Section 7AA meet, while Tusa came in second by a stroke when Hermantown also qualified its entire team for state.
The next five individual places at the 2012 meet were occupied by state qualifiers not on the winning team. The fourth individual qualifier, Greenway/ Nashwauk-Keewatin senior Jane Sloan, finished a stroke ahead of both Porter and Blair.
Mason said the close finish for the final two individual state qualifier spots reminded him of saying “every stroke counts.”
Falls sophomore Katie West, who tied with Porter for the Broncos’ best final round at 93, finished ninth individually with a two-day total of 200.
Bergstrom finished a stroke behind West with a score of 201, while the other Bronco to complete 36 holes, freshman Jenna Anderson, ended up 28th at 226.
The top team in each of the state’s eight Sections, along with each Section’s top-five golfers not on the winning team, all advance to the Class AA State Girls Golf Tournament that will be held June 12-13 at the Ridge at Sand Creek in Jordan.
Girls Section 7AA
Final results
Team scores: Hermantown 737, International Falls 795, Hibbing 803, Eveleth-Gilbert 810.
Top individuals: 1. Olivia Tusa, Hermantown, 158; 2. Callie Wilson, Hermantown, 161; 3. Katrina Leoni, Eveleth-Gilbert, 176; 4. Lexi Sosalla, Hibbing, 183; 5. Tatum Ritter, Pine City, 184; 6. Jane Sloan, Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin, 196; 7. Malinda Porter, International Falls, 197.
International Falls golfers: 7. Malinda Porter, 197; 8. Kelly Blair, 197; 9. Katie West, 200; 11. Alyssa Bergstrom, 201; 28. Jenna Anderson, 226.
