Baptist Prep's Dunstan plays it smart

Baptist Prep’s Bailey Dunstan putts on the 17th hole during the girls Overall championship Thursday at Pleasant Valley Country Club in Little Rock. Dunstan won in a playoff over Lilly Thomas of Bentonville after shooting a 4-over 76. More photos are available at arkansasonline.com/galleries.
Baptist Prep’s Bailey Dunstan putts on the 17th hole during the girls Overall championship Thursday at Pleasant Valley Country Club in Little Rock. Dunstan won in a playoff over Lilly Thomas of Bentonville after shooting a 4-over 76. More photos are available at arkansasonline.com/galleries.

Bailey Dunstan's cautious approach allowed the Baptist Prep junior to take home the ultimate high school golf prize.

Dunstan rolled in a 4-footer for par on the first hole of sudden death to hold off Bentonville senior Lilly Thomas to win the girls Overall championship on a sunny Thursday afternoon at Pleasant Valley Country Club in Little Rock.

Both Dunstan and Thomas completed regulation with a 4-over 76.

"I didn't make as many putts as I should have," Dunstan said. "I missed a lot of birdie putts. The greens were really fast. I could have done better but I also could have done worse."

Dunstan collected only one birdie in her round -- tapping in on the 354-yard, par-4 No. 15 -- but she played even par on the back nine.

Thomas picked up birdies on three of her first four holes on the back nine and was even par through the first 15 holes, but a bogey, double bogey, bogey finish kept her from winning the title outright.

"It was an up-and-down round," Thomas said. "If I could have just finished [stronger]. If I could have hit the greens in my final three holes I could have finished even."

After making birdie on No. 15, Dunstan hit into the water on her second shot on No. 16 -- a 322-yard, par 4. Dunstan managed to salvage a bogey on the hole and parred Nos. 17 and 18 to complete her round.

"I got on the green on 17 and two-putted and on 18 I got on the green and two-putted," Dunstan said. "I was just trying to get pars and maybe a birdie. You can call it conservative play."

Thomas was 3 over after the front nine but got to even par with birdies on Nos. 10, 11 and 13. On the 453-yard, par-5 No. 10, Thomas placed her second shot to within 8 feet of the pin.

"That shot gave me some confidence," Thomas said. "After playing the front nine in 3 over, I felt a lot better starting the back nine."

On the extra hole -- the 289-yard, par-4 No. 1 -- Dunstan's tee shot landed in the middle of the fairway and her approach shot hit the front of the green. She rolled her first putt to within 4 feet.

Thomas hit her tee shot left and into the rough, but she made a nice recovery and reached the green with her approach shot. She rolled her birdie attempt to within 6 feet, but missed the par putt while Dunstan made hers for the victory.

Magnolia sophomore Meghan Lindsey shot a 79 to finish third.

Sports on 10/12/2018

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