Kate Robertson played the back nine of The Greens at North Hills on a windy Wednesday afternoon like she owned the course.
The Bentonville senior caught and passed first-day leader Casey Ott of Conway to claim medalist honors at the Class 7A State Tournament. Robertson posted an even-par round of 72, including a 2-under par 33 on the final nine holes.
Conway won the team title with a 499. Bentonville was the runner-up at 505. It was Conway's second state title and its first since 2012.
Robertson finished the two-day event with a 3-over 147, two strokes better than Ott, last year's Overall champion.
"I felt pretty good," Robertson said of her final nine holes. "Honestly, I was out there trying to put up a good score for my team. I really wasn't thinking about my individual score. I was just trying to go out there and hit par after par."
In her final six holes, those pars were turning into birdies. Starting on No. 13, Robertson collected birdies on three of her next five holes. She closed her round with a bogey on No. 18, but by then, Robertson was comfortably in front.
Ott held a two-stroke lead on Robertson and North Little Rock senior Hannah Bakalekos with six holes to play, but Ott took a bogey on No. 13 while Robertson and Bakalekos collected birdies.
"Kate hit a great tee shot and then hit the middle of the green while I struggled to get a bogey on that hole," Ott said. "She played solid throughout the round. Congrats to her."
Ott and Robertson matched scores on No. 14 and 15, but Robertson birdied both No. 16 and 17 while Ott earned a par on 16 and fell three strokes back by taking a bogey on 17, a 90-yard, par 3.
"Obviously I'm a little disappointed on how the day went and how I played," said Ott, who places as the runner-up in the state tournament for the second year in a row. "But I held it together for the team (title). ... Back-to-back runner-up kind of hurts right now, but I'll get another chance next year."
Bakalekos fell out of contention by hitting bogeys on her final four holes, but she did manage to hold on for third place. Robertson, Ott and Bakalekos all qualified for the Overall tournament, which will be held Oct. 13 at Pleasant Valley Country Club in Little Rock.
Brooke Mathews of Rogers, who was the 2015 Class 7A medalist, finished in fourth place this year with a 77-76 -- 153.
Robertson, who entered the day three shots behind Ott, was even through the first eight holes to tie the Conway junior. But the 275-yard, par 4 No. 9 played havoc with Robertson's game.
Robertson chipped to within inches of the hole on No. 9, but thanks to the wind and a slick green the ball rolled to the fringe. Robertson's first putt and third shot was short and the ball rolled back to almost its original spot. Robertson took two more putts and settled for a double bogey.
"The wind was insane," Robertson said. "I could hit a shot to the middle of the green and the wind would push it all the way back to the front. ... On No. 9, I had a good chip shot and it rolled all the way to the edge. And then my next putt did the same thing. That was a setback."
But it was the last major miscue for Robertson, who managed three consecutive pars to start the back nine before going on a birdie binge to end her round.
Ott had a chance to retake a lead on No. 15, a 105-yard par 3. Ott hit her tee shot to within 12 feet of the hole while Robertson was forced to chip from just off the green. Both players, however, said their respective second shots were deceptive.
"It was a pretty easy chip," Robertson said. "It was straight uphill and I didn't have to worry about it. While Casey had a difficult putt. It was downhill and fast. ... That's what this course will do to you. ... Casey did a good job of putting it close to the hole, but she was unfortunate with a lot of her putts being difficult."
"It was a really slick putt," Ott said of her putt for birdie on No. 15. "I hit it almost three feet past the cup. I was protecting for par at that point because the coaches were telling me it was getting really close between the teams."
Sports on 09/29/2016