VERONA - Darlington sophomore Naomi Black got her first taste of the WIAA Division 2 girl's state golf tournament Monday, finishing the day in 30th place with a 24-over-par 96.
"With all those people, the announcer saying your name on the first tee and everything, it's quite a sight to see," Darlington-Cuba City head coach Gary Ringen said. "She's just 14 years old and a sophomore. She hit her first drive right down the fairway. She did a good job."
Black bogeyed the first two holes of her round at University Ridge Golf Course before shooting par on the par 3 third. Her first major challenge came on the par 4 fourth hole, in which she quadruple-bogeyed.
"She had two penalty strokes on the fourth hole. Otherwise she was pretty fine on the front nine," Ringen said.
Black finished the front nine with a 9-over 45. To open the back nine, Black found more adversity to overcome.
"She went out of bounds on her drive, then had to try to get back in. She hung in there and played well, but it wasn't really a good nine," Ringen said.
Black opened the back nine by going plus-3, plus-2, plus-3, plus-2, plus-2 before recording a par on the 15th.
"She almost parred the 18th - she was on in two and then three-putted. It was her first three-putt of the day," Ringen said. "If you look at the scores in Division 2, it is the toughest division. She's playing with the best players in the state. It's really unique."
Casey Davidson of Osceola is the leader in Division 2 after shooting a 3-under-par 69.
Black tees off the second and final round this morning at 8:49 on the tenth hole.
"With all those people, the announcer saying your name on the first tee and everything, it's quite a sight to see," Darlington-Cuba City head coach Gary Ringen said. "She's just 14 years old and a sophomore. She hit her first drive right down the fairway. She did a good job."
Black bogeyed the first two holes of her round at University Ridge Golf Course before shooting par on the par 3 third. Her first major challenge came on the par 4 fourth hole, in which she quadruple-bogeyed.
"She had two penalty strokes on the fourth hole. Otherwise she was pretty fine on the front nine," Ringen said.
Black finished the front nine with a 9-over 45. To open the back nine, Black found more adversity to overcome.
"She went out of bounds on her drive, then had to try to get back in. She hung in there and played well, but it wasn't really a good nine," Ringen said.
Black opened the back nine by going plus-3, plus-2, plus-3, plus-2, plus-2 before recording a par on the 15th.
"She almost parred the 18th - she was on in two and then three-putted. It was her first three-putt of the day," Ringen said. "If you look at the scores in Division 2, it is the toughest division. She's playing with the best players in the state. It's really unique."
Casey Davidson of Osceola is the leader in Division 2 after shooting a 3-under-par 69.
Black tees off the second and final round this morning at 8:49 on the tenth hole.
