Lily Cochran picked a great time to win her first golf tournament, and she capped the victory with a bold, memorable stroke.
The Page High junior, who has played competitive golf for less than two years, made a 25-foot birdie putt from off the green on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff Tuesday at Seven Lakes Golf Club in West End to claim Class 7A medalist honors in the N.C. High School Athletic Association state championships.
Putting from a lie perched in rough a few feet from the green on the deciding hole, Cochran didn’t hesitate to choose putter for the uphill shot.
“It was straight up the hill,” she said. “I just rammed it in the back of the cup. If I’d have missed, it might have gone 5 feet past.”
The birdie putt defeated Olivia Erazmus of Cardinal Gibbons, who was putting for par. Cochran, who shot 7-over-par 79 in the final round on a difficult 5,400-yard setup featuring several uphill landing areas and elevated green, finished 36 holes at 12-over 156.
Erazmus, playing in the final threesome just behind Cochran, shot 75 Tuesday to equal the tournament’s low round.
“This definitely gives me confidence that I can put together what it takes to win,” Cochran said.
Cochran (pictured with Page coach Edward Johnson) had squandered a similar opportunity the week before at the 7A West Regional at Marion Lake Club. Leading after 11 holes, she struggled down the stretch to post 78 and finish third, seven strokes behind Kami Caraccia of Lake Norman.
“I was pretty mad,” Cochran said.
Cochran had prepared for the Seven Lakes’ greens by practicing at Greensboro Country Club’s Irving Park course, which she said were similar. She didn’t get her first look at Seven Lakes until a Friday practice round. A long driver, Cochran was able to cut a few doglegs, setting up some short approaches.
Lily Cochran of Page High hits a drive at Seven Lakes Golf Club.
With scoring difficult at Seven Lakes, Cochran showed patience and perseverance — especially after making bogey at No. 9, followed by a double bogey at 10 and another bogey at 11. But she rebounded with an approach to within 12 feet of the pin to make birdie at the par-3 12th. Her other birdie was at the par-5 eighth.
