WOODLAND — Reilly Whitlock, the two-time defending Class 4A District 4 girls golf champion, was two strokes behind going into the final round Tuesday.
Right where she wanted to be, in fact.
“I liked that I had to play well, that I had to earn it,” said Whitlock, a senior from Union. “The win wasn’t given. I definitely had to work for it.”
She had to work extra, too.
Whitlock defeated Camas’ Elise Filuk on the first playoff hole to claim her third consecutive district title. The two fired 77-78 on the par-73 course for 155 totals. Taylor Hartley of Union finished third with 158.
Whitlock and Filuk had strong drives and near-perfect approach shots on the playoff hole. Filuk’s ball landed about 10 feet from the cup, then Whitlock’s ball stopped three feet from the cup. After Filuk’s birdie attempt just missed, Whitlock buried her putt and celebrated again.
“That’s right up there with one of my best,” Whitlock said of that approach shot. “Great way to end my senior year.”
Well, it’s not over yet.
The top six golfers from the 4A tournament advance directly to state. The next 12 go to bi-district for a final chance to get to state.
A freshman won the 3A tournament. Kiana Coburn of Fort Vancouver, with a 92-94, 186 total, held off Prairie’s Delainey Patterson, who finished second at 189. Amanda Croy of Kelso finished third.
The top three 3A golfers go directly to state, with the next four heading to bi-district.
The 4A tourney had most of the drama.
“Stressful,” Whitlock said of her round, playing in the group in front of Filuk and Hartley. “I had no idea where I was sitting or where they were sitting. They could have been 3-under or 10-over. I didn’t really know. I just tried to play my game and play the best that I could.”
Filuk, while disappointed she did not win, kept a positive attitude after her round.
“I made some silly mistakes. I made some great plays, too. I can’t beat myself up about it,” she said, noting that she had never played well in her three previous district tournaments. “Nobody plays a perfect round of golf.”
She also praised Whitlock.
“I honestly thought that second shot was going to put some pressure on Reilly. It didn’t,” she said. “That’s how a playoff hole should be played. A girl had to birdie to win. Can’t be mad about losing to a birdie.”
Filuk did get to claim victory, as well. She helped Camas to the team title over Union.
“It means everything to me. I have achieved all my goals this season,” she said.
Coburn, the freshman from Fort Vancouver, said her goal coming into district was to qualify for state, not necessarily win the tournament.
“If I did my best, I’d score well, and I’d be happy,” she said.
Then she had a three-stroke lead after Monday’s round.
Patterson cut Coburn’s lead to one shot on two occasions in the back nine of the second round, but Coburn responded right away to go back up by two shots each time. The advantage was three going into 17 and again on 18.
“I’m just really proud of the fact that I was able to finish a fairly decent round,” Coburn said.
Columbia River’s Amanda Bryan finished fourth, leading the Chieftains to a team title by one point over Prairie.
