2003 girls golfers of the year
Name: Sara Brown
School: Salpointe Catholic
Year in school: Senior
Sport: Girls golf
From the archives: Sara Brown said she knows only one way for a high school golf season to end, and it never seems to go the way she plans.
For the fourth straight year, the Salpointe Catholic senior fell short of winning the individual Class 5A state tournament title, and Salpointe had to settle for its fourth straight second-place finish Thursday to perpetual team champion Phoenix Xavier Prep.
Brown, who entered the final round at the par-72 Aguila Golf Course tied for first with Xavier's Amanda Blumenherst, bogeyed four holes on the back nine on her way to a 4-over 76 and a two-day total of 145.
She finished fourth, marking the fourth time she has placed in the top 10. Brown tied for third last year, finished eighth as a sophomore and tied for seventh in her freshman season.
Blumenherst, meanwhile, secured herself a spot in the record book of high school girls golf in Arizona. The Xavier junior shaved three strokes off her first-round tally with a 6-under 66 Thursday.
Blumenherst's two-day score of 135 broke the state record of 138, held by current LPGA Tour player Grace Park when she was at Scottsdale Horizon in 1995.
For Brown, her final-round performance signaled the end of a storied career that began in a similar fashion.
She kept pace with the state's best on the first day, but could not trump Xavier's finest on the tournament's final day, just as in her three previous years.
"I thought I set myself up for something good with the 69 in the first round, but the putts weren't falling for me today," said Brown, who has verbally committed to play at Michigan State next fall. "I had fun, though. High school golf is over, and now I'm ready for college." — Tyler Hansen, 2003
Name: Andrea Ratigan
School: Rincon/University
Year in school: Sophomore
Sport: Girls golf
From the archives: In conditions fit more for sailing, neither wind nor cold could stop Rincon/University sophomore Andrea Ratigan from repeating as girls golf 4A state champion.
Ratigan trailed first-round leader Jen Sun of Scottsdale Chaparral by three shots heading into Tuesday’s final round at the par-72 Sun Dance Golf Club in Buckeye.
But Tuesday’s 79 propelled Ratigan to a two-day 163 for a two-stroke victory over Cienega’s Stephanie Conn. Sun shot a second-day 85 to finish at 166.
“It feels good,” said Ratigan, who won last year by one stroke. “I’m disappointed I couldn’t have played better, and I feel bad for Jen Sun because she’s a good golfer. It was tough for everyone out there.”
Ratigan’s win helped the Rangers to a third-place finish. Cave Creek Cactus Shadows held on for the team crown at 715, and Catalina Foothills was second, 12 strokes back.
Ratigan was one of only two golfers to break 80 during the tournament, the other being Conn.
“The weather was a huge factor,” Rincon coach Shelly Haywood said. “The wind chill …¤couldn’t have gotten above 40 degrees. But we had a good dinner meeting,” he said about Monday “and talked about how the wind helps teams and players.”
Ratigan listened and improved her second-day score by five strokes. She credited her play around the greens as the difference.
“I couldn’t get my iron shots close to the pin,” Ratigan said. “So I was relying on my short game.”
After winning state as a freshman, Ratigan said she definitely felt the strain of being the golfer to beat in 2003.
“There was a lot of pressure in defending my title,” Ratigan said. “But it was a lot of fun because I enjoy competing.”
With the high school season over, Ratigan now will focus on adding distance to her game. She already has begun lifting weights.
“I already hit it straight,” she said. “But I want to hit it farther, maybe 10-15 yards.” — Chris Davis, 2003
