Purnell Swett's Meredith Godwin and Jade Hunt qualified for the NCHSAA's state championships Tuesday at Pinecrest.
Swett freshman Meredith Godwin shot a 91 while her senior teammate Jade Hunt shot a 98 and survived a five-player playoff at the NCHSAA 4A central regionals Tuesday at Pinehurst No. 6 to qualify for Monday’s state championships.
Last year, Swett saw then-senior Laura Bird become the Lady Rams’ first state qualifier. Godwin joins that list after a performance that earned her a tie for 12th-place individually out of 72 golfers.
“Meredith has been with me for two years,” Swett head coach Jamie Locklear said. “She just came so far, her short-game is unbelievable.”
For Hunt, advancing to state wasn’t so simple. The senior’s 98 pitted her in a five-player playoff with three spots left to be filled. With a state-berth on the line, Hunt’s double-bogey on a long par-4 playoff hole was just enough — two others shot triple-bogeys.
“I’m just so proud of her,” Locklear said. “That was priceless just to see her make it. She had other teams cheering her on. Even Pinecrest girls were hugging her, it was perfect.
“Before the tournament she was like, ‘Coach, if I could just make it to state my senior year’.”
As a team, Pinecrest took first with a 253 led by medalist Gabby Weiss who shot a 73. New Bern followed with a 259 followed by Page with 269.
Lumberton junior Morgan Belle finished with a 105.
A near miss
Truth be told by Coach Locklear, not only did Hunt almost miss the state-qualifying cut, Hunt nearly missed her playoff tee-time.
With play still in action, Hunt and Locklear went to Chick-fil-A in Southern Pines with the assumption that Hunt’s 98 wasn’t good enough to qualify for state.
Then, Locklear’s cell phone rang.
“They told me Jade’s 98 put her in a five-girl playoff,” Locklear said. “They were teeing off in a few minutes.”
Locklear and Hunt rushed back to Pinehurst No. 6, where the other four playoff contenders had already teed-off and were making their way to the fairway. Hunt was granted her tee-shot to join the herd.
“I will never leave the golf course again,” Locklear said with a laugh. “That would’ve been ugly if she got DQ’ed.”
Instead, Hunt drove, chipped and putted her way to her first state appearance.
The Swett senior and her freshman teammate Godwin will compete in the 4A state golf championships Monday on Pinehurst No. 8.
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