GIRLS GOLF: Claremore advances to state; Oologah, Verdigris qualify individuals

On a day where every stroke carried postseason weight, local golfers battled through pressure-packed rounds Monday across Class 5A and 4A regional.

In the end, Claremore punched its ticket to state, and several others fought to keep their seasons alive.

At the Class 5A Regional at Oak Hills Golf & Country Club in Ada, the Lady Zebras placed fifth out of 11 teams with a 396, securing one of six qualifying spots for the state tournament. Ada won the team title with a 347, while Tahlequah’s Kylie Fisher earned medalist honors with a 77.

Claremore was led by Brooklyn Babbitt, who finished 13th with a 94, and Kate Merriman, who followed closely in 15th with a 95.

Babbitt’s round was defined by resilience.

She opened steady with pars on Holes 1 and 2 before navigating a challenging stretch that included a double bogey on No. 4 and another on No. 6 and No. 8. Despite the setbacks, she stayed composed, mixing in pars on Holes 5 and later 17 to stabilize her round.

On the back nine, Babbitt again showed consistency in the face of adversity. While she carded multiple bogeys and double bogeys, she avoided any blow-up holes and closed with a bogey on 18 to finish with matching 47s on both sides for a 94.

Merriman’s round followed a similar path but featured early flashes of control.

After opening with a double bogey and bogey, she settled in with back-to-back pars on Holes 3 and 4, then added another par on No. 9 to post a 47 on the front.

The back nine proved more difficult.

Merriman recorded a string of bogeys and double bogeys, including consecutive doubles on Holes 13 and 14, before closing with a double bogey on 18 to finish with a 48 on the inward nine and a 95 overall.

Ava Pettus added a 102, followed by Victoria Leal [105] and Harper Rooney [123] to round out Claremore’s lineup as the Lady Zebras advanced to state.

At the Class 4A Regional at Wolf Ridge Golf Course in Wister, four local golfers kept their seasons come to an end despite their respective teams failing to qualify.

Oologah finished sixth with a 411, just outside the top four needed to qualify as a team, while Verdigris placed seventh [458] and Inola ninth [487]. Metro Christian claimed the team title with a 344, and Holland Hall’s Megan Kalapura won the individual crown with a 73.

The Lady Mustangs’ Brooklyn Jones and the Lady Cardinals’ Jackie Beauchamp each shot 99 to tie for 16th, leading a group of local players who finished inside the four-player individual qualifying cut.

Karsyn Littlepage [102] and Lucy Williams [104] also posted solid rounds for Oologah to qualify for state.