Powerhouse Westminster ran away from the Class 1 field on the first day of the state tournament.
The Wildcats shot 333 in the opening round at Silo Ridge Golf and Country Club in Bolivar. Maryville was second, 42 strokes back at 375. The 36-hole state championship will conclude with a final 18-hole round on Tuesday.
“We wanted to be in first place, and we were hoping to get a cushion,” Westminster coach Steve Bradley said. “With that cushion, we feel good that we’ve got some leeway.”
Westminster's Brooke Cusumano is tied for the top spot in the individual standings. Cusumano and Taylor Hayes of Osage each shot 80 in the opening round.
“It felt pretty good. I just kind of played my game,” Cusumano said. “Any one of our girls could have shot 80 today. I just happened to be the one.”
Bradley said, “She was just crushing drives. She’s one of our best pitchers and chippers. And her putting was great. She just had a total game.”
Three other Wildcats aren’t far behind Cusumano and Hayes entering Round 2. Margaret Moore is third on the leaderboard with an 82, Jordan Wolf sixth at 84 and Ciara Younger 11th at 87.
“Jordan was a little off because she’s struggling with a sore wrist,” Bradley said. “It’s so fun to watch Margaret play golf. And Ciara was excited about her round and is amped up for tomorrow.”
A few other area Class 1 golfers had solid first rounds Monday, including John Burroughs’ Logan Otter (85) and MICDS teammates Darby Hobbs (86) and Campbell Torchin (89).
