Central – The last two holes that Peyton O’Brien played in the AAA girls golf state championship were, to say the least, pressure-packed.
O’Brien, a Daniel High School senior, trailed Ella Kate Barnett of Aynor by one stroke as she prepared to hit her tee shot on the 18th hole. Knowing she needed a birdie, O’Brien went out and got it to force a playoff.
O’Brien followed that birdie with another on the first playoff hole to beat Barnett and claim the individual championship on October 24 at the Hackler Course in Seneca.
“It was pure happiness,” O’Brien said of her feeling after coming from three strokes behind entering the second round of the 36-hole tournament to win the championship. “My adrenaline was helping me a lot (in the second round). From the middle of the round, I was putting really well. My approach shots were pretty good. I was consistent all day.”
As she stepped up to the par 4 18th hole, O’Brien was doing some math in her head. She knew Barnett had completed her round while she was on the 13th hole.
“I was just making sure the math in my head was right,” O’Brien said. “ I did and I was one behind. The only score to make was a three (for a birdie).
“I decided to come out firing. In the bleachers there were over 100 people there to watch. I hit a great tee shot and stuck it to 18 inches on the second shot. When I did that, (Barnett) got off the bleachers and went to get her clubs.”
The first playoff hole was No. 10, a par 3, 121-yard hole. O’Brien went up first and drove within six feet of the hole. Barnett’s drive left her 12 feet from the hole.
O’Brien studied her second shot and talked it over with Lions head coach Andy Swords before stepping up to the ball.
“It was a downhill right-to-left putt,” said O’Brien, who is going to play collegiately at Anderson University. “I like that distance. I'm a confident putter. I played the break, read it right and I got it.”
Barnett was unable to match O’Brien, giving her the title.
Barnett was the leader after the first round with a 74. Seneca’s Ansley Bryson was second with a 75 while O’Brien was tied for third with Blue Ridge’s Katelyn Cox with a 77.
In the team competition, Daniel finished second. Waccamaw won with a score of 661 while the Lions shot 687.
Daniel’s Sophia Hepler finished in a tie for 10th in the individual portion with a 168. Samantha Dean was 22nd at 180, Campbell Epting finished in a 3-way tie for 27th at 189, and Ever Deaton finished in a tie for 32nd with a 196.
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