When Dixie’s Annabelle Millard arrived for the final round of the 4A golf state tournament at Meadow Brook Golf Course on Thursday, she was hoping for a simple, more focused approach than her first round.
“I had the mentality of go out there and don’t play against your opponent, play against the course and play against your score,” said Millard, who had a two-shot lead over two golfers after an opening round 71.
The golf course never stood a chance.
Millard shot a 65 with eight birdies and one bogey to easily claim 4A medalist honors with a two-day 136 (8-under).
“Mentally I was in a whole other world,” said Millard, whose previous best round ever was a 68.
The junior big hitter did so much of her damage on the par 5s. She birdied seven of the eight par 5s during her two rounds, including all eight on Thursday.
Millard’s first birdie of the round came on the par 5 second, with her 20-foot eagle putt just missing. That tap-in birdie started a string of birdies — five total on the front nine.
“After that birdie I knew it was going to go great,” said Millard, who said she really loved hitting into the wide-open fairways of Meadow Brook. They were much more forgiving than the course she usually plays at, Sunbrook and The Ledges.
Millard’s round is even more impressive in the context that only three other golfers on Thursday even shot in the 70s, as Pine View’s Alyssa Butterfus, Hurricane’s Allie Johnson and Uintah’s Maicee Smuin each shot a Day 2 78.
Butterfus and Johnson both shot a 73 on Wednesday, as they finished tied for second with a two-day 151.
Butterfus’ outstanding tournament was one of many reasons Pine View claimed its first girls golf state championship in school history. Butterfus’ 73 on Wednesday was a career round.
Hallie Wieland finished fourth with a 161, with fellow Pine View golfer Kenzi Owen finishing in 11th with 172.
Pine View coach Matt Wieland said that collectively his entire team performed well with the elevated expectations of being the Region 9 champ.
“The key to them was just staying composed today. We knew coming in that we were the favorites and sometimes that’s really hard. It’s easier to go in as an underdog and chase people. When you’re the hunted I think it sometimes can get to the girls’ nerves a bit. Both days they did a great job staying composed and just playing their game start to finish. It was awesome,” said Wieland.
Pine View finished with a two-day 668, well ahead of second-place Dixie’s 694.
He had high praise for how Butterfus stuck with it despite some struggles on Thursday. After sitting at 8-over through 13 holes, she birdied three of her final five holes to shoot a 78.
“I had the mentality of go out there and don’t play against your opponent, play against the course and play against your score.” — Dixie’s Annabelle Millard
“She’s so stinking good off the tee,” said Wieland.
Wieland said that’s its tradition at Pine View for the girls golfers to get a pedicure on the night in between rounds — which Wieland said he just pays for.
“We already did that last night, so maybe now they’ll get a manicure,” said Wieland, who added that having his daughter on the team just added to how special the two-day experience at Meadow Brook was. It’s something that Millard echoed as well.
“I really enjoyed it. I’m so grateful they let us use this course for state,” said Millard.
Class 4A state tournament
At Meadow Brook Golf Course
Team scores
1. Pine View, 668
2. Dixie, 694
3. Juan Diego, 706
4. Desert Hills, 708
5. Ridgeline, 714
6. Green Canyon
7. Uintah, 749
8. Stansbury, 767
9. Mountain Crest, 776
10. Cedar City, 783
Individual results
136 — Annabelle Millard, Dixie
151 — Alyssa Butterfus, Pine View; Ellie Johnson
161 — Hallie Wieland, Pine View
162 — Rylee Payne, Desert Hills; Maice Smuin, Uintah
165 — Grayson Gagnon, Juan Diego
166 — Alyssa Buist, Ridgeline
167 — Cabria Walters, Juan Diego
170 — Sammy Spackman, Green Canyon
172 — Kenzi Owen, Pine View
176 — Karyn Speir, Uintah; Randee Tormondsen, Stansbury
180 — Brooklyn Rhodes, Desert Hills; Landree Spackman, Green Canyon
181 — Lucy Dixon, Desert Hills
182 — Lily Swink, Ridgeline; RaeLee Johnson, Cedar City
183 — Breanne Taylor, Dixie
184 — Shayne Farnsworth, Juan Diego