The Fannin County women’s golf team participated in the Georgia High School Association state golf tournament at Southern Hills Golf and Country Club May 17 and 18, and came home from Hawkinsville, Georgia, with a state championship! Senior Lainey Panter shot a two-day total of 152 to win the AA title by four shots. The Lady Rebels, as a team, finished seventh in the state to cap off what has been an amazing sports year for Fannin County Athletics.
On day one, Panter got off to a great start with a birdie on hole number two, as she hit a six-iron to within 20 feet of the hole, and her putt found the bottom of the cup. The rest of the front nine was a grind as Panter played steady, and after making the turn to the back nine, she was right in the thick of the tournament. The senior made another birdie on the par five, 14th hole as she nestled a pitching wedge to within 10 feet and drained the putt. Another birdie followed at the difficult par four, 16th hole when she hit a laser-like eight-iron to within five feet of the hole and again, her putt found the bottom of the cup. Panter capped off her first round with a crucial 8-foot putt on the 18th hole to save par and get in with an opening day 77, one shot off the lead.
Panter was very pleased with day one and was looking forward to teeing it up the following day. Panter said, “I was really happy with how I played the first day. I wish I could have had a few less bogies, but I was super pumped to not have any doubles. I was right where I wanted to be, just one back, so I could chase birdies for the final round. My swing felt great, and I could not wait to go for day two.”
In addition to Panter’s 77, Raven Porter shot a 117, while Cady Finley shot a 122, and Evie Webb posted a 127 on day one.
Panter was in a great position heading into the second day being a shot off the lead while all the pressure was on the leader. Again, she got off to a red-hot start, making a birdie on the par five, third hole. She hit a pitching wedge to within 15 feet and drilled the putt. Panter then parred holes four through eight to stay right in the mix for a state championship. The shot of the tournament came on the par three, 11th hole, as Panter almost holed out from the tee box, as her tee shot ended up two inches behind the hole. She hit a six-iron on the 135-yard hole and tapped in the two-inch putt to start taking command of the tournament. The future University of North Georgia golfer made par on the 12th hole and followed with another birdie on the 13th, as she hit a lob wedge to within 5 feet of the cup and poured in the putt. The next three holes, she made pars, and she came to the final hole with a five-shot lead.
The experienced Lady Rebel played smart on the difficult hole and played to short and right to stay away from all of the trouble surrounding the green, as well as a tough pin placement.
After chipping up on the green, she made the final putt of the day to end the tournament with a day two score of 75 and a two-day total of 152 to become the state champion by a whopping four shots. The rest of the Lady Rebels also improved each of their scores from the first day as Porter shot a 115, Webb shot a 116, and Finley finished with a 118.
After the round, Panter said, “I could not have been happier with how I played the second day. I was not as nervous as I thought I would have been but after making that birdie on three, I was ready to go. I just kept hitting fairways and draining putts. I made the turn and just did all I could to keep myself composed. I just never wanted to take my foot off the gas. I birdied 11 and 13 and was feeling great. I knew I was several ahead of the girl I was playing with, but the leader from the first day was a few groups ahead of me and already finished. All my coach would tell me was to just keep in play. I striped my drive down 18 but had a seven iron to take over bunkers and water. My hands were definitely sweaty, but when I saw it land dry, I did not care that it was short. Tapping in my bogey and walking off 18 is a feeling I will never forget. Coach, mom, and dad all greeted me with a hug, and I was on cloud nine.”
Coach Bryan Richerson was thrilled with his lady’s effort as well and made good on a promise he made to them by jumping into the lake after the matches were over.
Coach Richerson said, “I am so happy and proud of Lainey. Winning the individual state championship is an accomplishment that requires hard work and dedication and that is exactly the definition of Lainey Panter. She had two unbelievable days at the state championship shooting a 77 and 75 and missed a hole in one by an inch on top of it. Lainey has left her mark on the Fannin County golf program and has a bright future of golf at UNG. We will miss her very much!
Richerson continued, “Our Lady Rebels had two great days of golf at the state championship tournament. I am so proud of all four ladies who competed and our two alternates. Lainey, Evie, Cady and Raven all shot well the first day, but what was even better was they all improved their scores on the second day of the tournament, which is sometimes hard to do when you are walking 36 holes in the heat. Finishing seventh in the state is a great accomplishment for our golf program, and these ladies have helped build a great foundation for the Lady Rebels.”