Katrina Chandler has the perfect ball flight to beat the wind.
Chandler kept her golf shots low and straight Tuesday at Cobble Creek Golf Course in Mancos. That helped her finish fourth overall with a score of 25-over-par 97.
Wind wreaked havoc on the course all day. Durango High School head coach Kirk Rawles estimated consistent winds at 20 to 25 mph with gusts reaching 35 mph. Individual medalist winner Kiselya Plewe shot an 81, a score indicative of the tough conditions as she routinely scores sub-75 rounds.
Two more players tied for second at 96, and Chandler was one stroke behind them.
“Katrina hit the ball really well in that wind,” Rawles said. “She has a hard, low ball flight, and that worked in her favor.”
The Demons finished in the middle of the pack of the seven-team tournament.
Lauren Biery posted 118, Faith Mewmaw shot 135, and Taylor Edwards rounded out the Demons’ varsity with a 136.
“Lauren is working off last year when she had some good rounds,” Rawles said. “Faith is a freshman, so she is getting her feet wet with competition.”
Rawles blamed himself for tinkering with Edwards’ swing in the middle of her round, but the two saw some immediate results from the experimentation when she hit a 250-yard drive, hit the green in regulation and made a one-putt for birdie.
“She’s got a real natural golf swing, so we have to put the ball in the right position first and then she can flat out hit it,” Rawles said.
The team will get a few weeks to sharpen their game before heading to Conquistador Golf Course in Cortez on April 5.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
