Cloverdale wins Putnam County girls' golf tournament

Members of the 2013 Putnam County champion Cloverdale girls' golf team pose with their trophy. (Front, from left) Harlee Fuetter, MaKayla Moore, Abby Walker, (back) Ambrie Kidder, Lillian Boyd, Elizabeth Wardlow, Anna Spencer, Abbie Speas, Kelsey Nees and coach Matthew Langdon. (Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)

CLOVERDALE -- The Cloverdale girls' golf team had extra motivation going into Thursday's Putnam County Tournament. It wasn't the disappointing second-place finish at the West Central Conference Tournament on Saturday, or that they were hosts.

The motivation was a deal MaKayla Moore made with her coach as a freshman four seasons ago. If the Clovers were to ever win the county tournament, coach Matthew Langdon had to jump in pond near the 16th green.

Langdon got wet on Thursday when Cloverdale won, finishing at 212.

"I'm really proud of them," Langdon said. "Our scores fell on the right night. ... Some of our girls didn't have their best night, but we've been talking all year just about grinding it out, keeping your focus and not letting one bad shot hurt you."

Greencastle finished in second place with a 215. South Putnam shot a 225 and North Putnam had an incomplete score.

The Tiger Cubs had three golfers finish in the top five of the tournament, but it was Cloverdale's depth that made the big difference.

Cloverdale senior MaKayla Moore tees off for her round on the tenth hole at Clover Meadows. Moore led her team to the county championship. (Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)

Moore and sophomore Harlee Fuetter led the team, each shooting a 52 to make the All-County team. They were followed by junior Anna Spencer, with a 53, freshman Abbie Speas with a 55 and senior Elizabeth Wardlow with a 64

It was the Clovers' first county tournament win since 2009.

"The last couple weeks we had played some really good rounds," Langdon said. "We got down to that 209, 210 range and I thought that would give us at least a chance at conference and county."

South Putnam, winners of the last two county tournaments, was led by senior Kyndra Boyce who finished with a 45. Junior Carlee Schlatter had a career-best 50 for SPHS, followed by senior Clair Perry with a 61, freshman Alicia Haywood with a 69 and junior Allacyn Arnold with a 73.

Schlatter parred three of her last five holes. The tournament was played on the back-nine of Clover Meadows.

Greencastle senior Liz Johnson was tournament medalist. She tied with Boyce with a 45 after nine holes but won a two-hole playoff.

Junior Lauren Bridgewater (48) and sophomore Lokysa Scheuermann (50) both joined Johnson on the all-county team. Sophomore Alexa Newlin (72) and junior Haley Cash (73) also competed for the Tiger Cubs.

"We had some girls from some other teams with some low numbers," Langdon said. "But it was just our consistency that really helped us. ... I told the girls tonight, 'Really, we just need to go out and not try to shoot some amazing round.'

"If we just went out and shot what we've been shooting I thought we'd have a really good chance at winning this."

North Putnam's two golfers both performed well. Junior Olivia Zarate finished with a 47 and was third-place as an individual. Junior Jessie Cox finished at 57.

"I thought we played really well at conference; we shot a round of 200 on one nine," Langdon said. "To play well and to not get that (win), I think it drove us more to try to go out and get it down tonight."

The teams all return to action Saturday for sectional play.

Greencastle, South Putnam and Cloverdale all compete in the Northview Sectional, which is at Forest Park Golf Course beginning at 8:30 a.m. Tee times have not been set.

North Putnam will travel to the Brownsburg Sectional held at West Chase Golf Club. That tournament begins at 10 a.m.

2013 Putnam County Girls' Golf Tournament
At Clover Meadows
Team results
1. Cloverdale, 212; 2. Greencastle, 215; 3. South Putnam, 225; 4. North Putnam, Inc.