GREENVILLE – A personal-best round in the sectional tournament has Greenville girls golfer Jada Garland into the Ohio High School Athletic Association district tournament.
The Greenville sophomore shot an 18-hole round of 87 in the Division I sectional tournament on Wednesday at The Golf Club at Yankee Trace in Centerville. Her score was the ninth best out of 67 golfers and earned her a spot in Tuesday’s district tournament.
“I knew I was playing really well, better than I ever had before, and I was like really hoping that I was going to get to go (to the district tournament),” Garland said. “And I was nervous that somebody was going to beat me.”
Of the four individuals in the sectional who qualified for the district tournament, Garland’s score was the second best.
The sophomore is playing her best golf at the right time, Greenville girls golf coach Tracy Haines said.
“I knew she could (make it to the district tournament) if she played her best, and she did,” Haines said. “I’m really happy.”
Garland is Greenville’s first girls golfer to advance to the OHSAA district tournament since Jenelle Agne in 2013. The then-senior Agne shot a 91 in the sectional tournament to qualify for districts.
“I actually texted Jenelle and told her, and she said to tell Jada just to act like it’s another tournament, another match, and have fun,” Haines said.
Garland, who has averaged 99.68 strokes per 18 holes this season, would like to shoot in the 80s or the 90s during the district tournament at Glenview Golf Course in Cincinnati.
“It’s going to be exciting, I think,” she said. “I’m nervous, but it will be fun.”
Haines thinks Garland can have another strong round in the district tournament. She just needs to play to her strengths and forget her bad shots, the Lady Wave coach said.
“She can hit it down the middle,” Haines said of Garland’s strengths, “that and she can putt.”
Garland has seen a lot of improvement in her game since last year. Being just a sophomore she hopes to continue improving and build off her district tournament appearance.
“I really want to get after it in the summer and in the offseason,” she said.
Garland is scheduled to tee off at 10:50 a.m. Tuesday at Glenview Golf Course in a group with Seton’s Haley Walter and St. Ursula’s Isabel York.
For more information on the district tournament, visit swdab.org.
