WOODLAND — Ingrid Nelson stretched out her thumb and her forefinger. The distance between those digits was the difference for her Thursday at Lewis River Golf Course.
That’s how close her ball came to finding the water on the 16th hole Thursday afternoon.
Instead, inches away from the water hazard, she chipped her next shot over the water and onto the green, then made the putt for an up-and-down that pretty much won her the Class 3A Greater St. Helens League’s district girls golf tournament.
Nelson, a senior from Prairie, shot a second-round 86 on the par-73 layout at Lewis River Golf Course for a two-day total of 175 and a one-stroke victory over teammate Maddy Ward.
Ward shot the round of the tournament — an 82 on Thursday — to find herself just off the championship pace.
Nelson, Ward, and the rest of the top five automatically qualified for this month’s Class 3A state tournament. The next eight players will compete in Monday’s bi-district tournament for a last chance at state.
Nelson and Ward don’t have to worry about that, though.
Nelson thought she was in trouble when she saw her ball flight on that 16th hole. She knew exactly where it was headed because she had seen it the previous day.
“I made the exact same error (on Wednesday),” Nelson said.
Only her ball found the water in the first round. This time, it stayed dry.
“It was to my much great relief that it didn’t go in,” she said.
Instead, without the penalty, and with the up-and-down, she maintained her lead.
Nelson had a two-stroke lead over Columbia River’s Chloe Bartek and Union’s Yun Belex Cheng going into the final round. They were in the same group on the final day, so Nelson knew she was still ahead of her opponents. She had no idea about Ward, though, playing in front of her.
“I had a five-stroke lead on her. That’s kind of comforting in the golf world,” Nelson said. “I didn’t know she was doing so well.”
Ward posted her score and then just waited.
“It was a great day,” Ward said. “I really knew I had to be on my game to make it to state. I knew I could do it.”
She was just trying to be in that top five and then almost won the thing.
“My heart was pounding. I am shaking still,” she said.
But Ward, a junior, was also happy for her teammate’s victory. Ward has another year to try to capture the crown.
Bartek ended up in third place, her 88 leaving her four strokes off the lead. Cheng finished seventh.
Kayla Jech of Union shot an 88, seven shots better than her first-round score. Climbing up the leaderboard to finish fourth, she also led the Titans to the team title. Using the points system, Union scored 190 points — all six Titans made the cut and scored — to beat Prairie at 172.
“I’m very happy with it,” Jech said. “I’m just very impressed with the team. This is our third year, and we just kicked butt this season. All of the girls just really inspired me and just impressed me.”
Camas’ Briawna Brooks beat teammate McKinsey Rodgers in a playoff for fifth place and that automatic qualifier for state.
