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By Brian Pitts

Enterprise Record

Kyleigh Harnsberger put a big exclamation mark on her Davie golf career in the state meet at Pinehurst No. 1 on May 11. The senior fired a 9-over 79 to tie for 25th place out of 45 competitors in the 4-A field.

How’s this for extraordinary? The Davie girls golf program dates back 19 seasons to 2002. Gabby Chaloupkova, a foreign-exchange student in 2010, turned in 75-78––153 in the state meet a little over a decade ago. Harnsberger is the only other War Eagle to achieve 9-over or better in a round at the state meet.

She was 6-over after the front nine, tied for 30th at that point. She turned it up on the back nine, shooting 3-over to tie for 21st on that side. She tied for eighth in the most pars category with 11. Only 11 strokes separated the top 27 players.

Harnsberger saved her best golf for the biggest matches. In the Central Piedmont Conference’s 18-hole meet, she shot 7-over 79 to finish fifth and notch her fourth all-conference honor. In the West Regional, she shot 10-over 81 to finish 11th out of 45 players.

And then she went out in style at Pinehurst.

“It was fun to watch and fun to walk with her today,” coach Bob Donley said. “She got the greens figured out on the back nine. They had pins in some very tough spots. There were some girls who shot bigger numbers than I think they were expecting to shoot. Her ball striking was good. She shot 79 with 40 putts. She had the ball going off the tee.”

It was Harnsberger’s third state appearance and she closed her career with her best state showing. As a sophomore, she shot 86-85––171 to tie for 29th. As a junior, she shot 91-81––172 to tie for 46th.

Reagan, a CPC rival, dominated the field on the way to the team championship. The Raiders shot 3-over 213 to beat runner-up Green Hope by eight strokes. The rest of the top seven: Cardinal Gibbons 226, Ardrey Kell 234, Heritage 237, Hickory Ridge 240 and Holly Springs 252.

In the individual race, Reagan claimed two of the top three spots. Freshman Macy Pate of the Raiders won the title at 2-under 68. Laney’s Grace Holcomb was second at 69. Third place went to Reagan’s Morgan Ketchum at 70.