Frostproof's Aldrich Dethrones Connors in Class 1A, District 13 Girls Golf Tournament

Mon. October 15, 2012 at 9:00 p.m. | By Polk Preps Staff

FROSTPROOF'S MADISON ALDRICH took home the Class 1A, District 13 title on Monday. (Photo by RICK RUNION | THE LEDGER )

By LISA COFFEY

THE LEDGER

LAKELAND | Youth prevailed Monday in the Class 1A, District 13 girls golf tournament at Schalamar Creek Golf and Country Club.

Frostproof freshman Madison Aldrich won the individual honors, while the McKeel Wildcats continue to look like veterans, winning the team title after capturing the Polk County Invitational last week.

Frostproof, McKeel and Lakeland Christian advance to the Region 5 tournament Oct. 22 at the Eagles Golf Club in Odessa along with three-time district champion Kayla Connors of Tenoroc, Lindsey Moffat of Avon Park and Alexandra Canto of All Saints' Academy.

Despite carding a 10 on the par-4, 251-yard No. 18, Aldrich recovered to card an 8-over-par 80, one shot better than Connors.

Aldrich had missed playing in the summer with a bulging lumbar disc. Plus, she grew four inches. Her scores to start the season were not particularly good.

She found her game last week after coach Greg Coffin suggested she slow down her swing.

"Everything started to fall into place," she said.

Aldrich started on No. 6 and shot par until she double-bogeyed No. 10 with a six. She bounced back with four pars, a birdie, and two more pars before the 10, when her tee shot went out of bounds and she hit the water twice.

The freshman showed maturity to finish her round with three birdies.

"Usually, I would have been upset," she said. "But I knew I had those (early) pars."

McKeel, with an eighth-grader, a freshman, two sophomores and a junior, captured the team title with a 367, 23 strokes better than last week's 390.

They will look even younger when coach Dennis Brown shaves his full head of gray hair and gray beard, as he promised if the team secured a victory.