Almost halfway through the H-DNL’s girls golf schedule we’re beginning to see a gap in the race for this year’s championship.
The league girls traveled to Fortuna for the third round of league play at the Redwood Empire Golf and Country Club on Monday and McKinleyville’s Ingrid Monaghan secured her third straight victory.
The Panthers standout has been unstoppable through the early season and now holds a sizable advantage in the season standings, as she looks to win a first-ever league title.
After four-stroke victories in each of the first two rounds of league play, Monaghan won by six strokes this time, shooting a 98.
It was the second straight week she broke 100, a feat that has been achieved by only one other league golfer this fall — Del Norte’s Jaylee Keeling.
Keeling had the second best round of the day for the second straight week and the Del Norte junior is the only league golfer within touching distance of Monaghan with four rounds of league play remaining.
Monaghan has a season score of 190, followed by Keeling (200), who shot a 104 on Monday.
Only one other league golfer — Arcata’s Quetzal Heacock — is within 28 strokes of the league leader.
Heacock’s teammate Sabrina Macdonald had the third best round of the day, edging four other golfers in a tight race for third.
Macdonald carded a 114, followed by Del Norte’s Kalyssa Moodie (115), Heacock (116), Del Norte’s Taylor Horner (117) and McKinleyville’s Daytona Dobrec (118).
Arcata’s Shayla Hoffman and Eureka’s Matilda Ulrich tied for the eighth best round of the day with 122s, with McKinleyville’s Ansley Bartoo routing out the top 10 on the day with a round of 124.
Heacock sits third in the race for the league title with a combined score of 211, followed by Macdonald (219) and Arcata’s Hailey Pepper (227).
With three golfers placing in the top six on Monday, the Del Norte Warriors took the team victory with a combined score of 465, followed by McKinleyville (470), Arcata (479) Eureka (517) and Fortuna (540).
Arcata, however, remains firmly in the lead for the team championship after winning the first two rounds of league play.
The Tigers (1372) hold a 55-stroke advantage over second-placed Del Norte (1427), with McKinleyville (1455) in third.
Sadie Owsley led Fortuna on Monday with a round of 129.
