North Putnam finishes second, Cloverdale third Monday in tri-meet

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

CLOVERDALE -- The North Putnam girls' golf team scored an upset victory Monday night over Cloverdale and Owen Valley.

Cloverdale sophomore Sydney Shrum fired a match-best 42 to take medalist by 12 strokes, but North Putnam earned its five-stroke victory with a consistent top four who all scored in the 50s at Clover Meadows golf course.

North Putnam carded a 226 -- a massive 44-stroke improvement over its team score at Clover Meadows last year -- followed by Owen Valley's 231 and Cloverdale's 236. The Lady Cougars had to wait quite a while to find out their fate, as they found themselves trailing until their No. 5 golfer Emmy Rees turned in a 56 to take her team from one stroke down to a five-stroke win.

"I'll just say that these girls have worked really hard, and I'm so proud of them," North Putnam coach Linda Patrick said. "I had been looking at the scores, and I knew we had a chance to be competitive tonight. I told the girls we could win this thing, and they really brought their game."

Patrick counted this win as North Putnam's first in two years because it was the first time in that duration it beat full-strength competition. The Lady Cougars were led by Josie Parent's 55, then a pair of 56's by Valerie Scott and Rees and Megan Schutter's 59.

"I'm elated," Patrick said. "It's been fun to watch these girls work on their game and really improve."

Cloverdale coach Ken Williams was happy to field his first full team of the season -- before today, Cloverdale had fielded just three golfers -- but the two new additions have spent hardly any time on a golf course.

Cloverdale's Shrum continued her impressive early-season play, taking medalist for the fifth straight match. She was happy to get the win, but knows she hasn't shown her best stuff just yet.

"This isn't really where I want to be," Shrum said. "In the summer, I was shooting 38's and 39's. My dad took me out to practice putting after my round because I shot so bad -- which is like having to shoot free throws after a basketball game. But I was happy to be out here with a full team."

At Cloverdale

North Putnam 226 -- Parent 44, Rees 56, Scott 56, Schutter 59

Owen Valley 231 -- Schrougham 54, Morgan 54, Williams 60, Marsh 63

Cloverdale -- Shrum 42 (medalist), Boyette 54, Woodworth 64, Moore 76