Under a perfect blue sky on sun-soaked fairways, the Palisade Girls Golf team traveled all the way to Cortez, Colorado to compete in the Dolores Invitational at the Conquistador Golf Course. One Bulldog stood above the rest, adding a significant milestone to the team’s season.
The Bulldogs met up at a bright and early 4:15 a.m. at Palisade High School before traveling 230 miles in four hours to make their 9:30 a.m. tee time. This current team of Palisade golfers had never played this course before, but despite these two setbacks, our resilient athletes were still able to take home a first place win. With the golf family continuously expanding, the team brought along 12 athletes in order to allow the more novice players to experience a traveling 18 hole tournament.
At the end of the final 18th hole, our very own Lexi Taylor was tied for first place against Montezuma-Cortez’s seed one player, both with a score of 95. This meant only one thing: a final playoff hole. All the teams of the tournament gathered around the tee box of hole 18, a 347 yard par four from the red tees. The silence was deafening, and everyone was on the edge of their seats. When both girls had made it to the green, they finished their putts ending in another tie. “It was a super exciting experience for me, I have never been placed so high before.” Taylor explains. “I wasn’t sure how to feel about the playoff, but I knew I was more excited than nervous.”
To determine the final winner, the Head-Coach decided to do a scorecard playoff, comparing the players’ scores on the highest handicap hole of the course, hole four. This cost Taylor the first place title, but her efforts were undeniably present.
Talent runs in the Taylor family, with Lexi’s twin sister Lili tying for third place. These talented athletes, along with the rest of our adept golfers, allowed the Palisade team as a whole to take home their first win of the season.
