UNCASVILLE, Connecticit — Even when Carys Fennessy isn’t on her “A” game, she’s still bringing home championship plaques.
This past Sunday at the Mohegan Sun Golf Course, the Dover High School senior won her second straight New England High School girls golf championship.
Fennessy shot a 1-under-par-70 in the 50-girl field from the six New England states. Senior Lillian Guleserian of Westwood, Massachusetts, placed second with a 1-over-par 72.
“It was pretty cool to win back-to-back years,” Fennessy said. “I never really expected to win the New England high school (championship) one time, so to win it twice is pretty cool. It wasn’t not my ideal round, but I just stuck with it; had a few birdies and it was enough to get it done.”
It’s a fitting end to Fennessy’s stellar four-year career at Dover High School. She won her second straight New Hampshire Women’s Amateur back in August, and also competed in her first LPGA event at the end of August at the FM Global Championship at TPC Boston in Norton, Massachusetts, and helped Dover to a second-place finish at the Division I championship, and then won her fourth New Hampshire high school girls individual title.
Matt Fennessy, coach and father of Carys, called Sunday’s win a “great accomplishment” for his daughter.
“It’s a tough tournament just from the standpoint of playing so late in the fall,” Matt said. “Even when she doesn’t haver her (best), she can grind it out and post a really good number; and that’s what she kind of had to do.”
Oyster River’s Teagan Nadeau shot an 85 and finished in a two-way tie for 22nd.
Winnacunnet sophomore Nora Fleming shot an 87 and finished in a three-way tie for 26th, and St. Thomas Aquinas sophomore Kendall Wishart shot a 106 and placed 45th.
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Fennessy finishes strong, rallies on back nine
Fennessy trailed Guleserian by 2 shots after front nine. Fennessy shot a 35, while Guleserian had a 33.
Fennessy asked her father where she stood at the 13th hole, Matt recalled.
“I said ‘I think you’re 2 shots back’,” he said “Before I know it, she birdied (13, 14, and 15). I figured she was in pretty good standing at that point.”
Guleserian shot a 39 on the back nine, four shots off Fennessy’s pace.
“I became more comfortable,” Fennessy said on the back nine. “The front nine was pretty windy, if I remember correctly. And it started warming up towards the back, so I started swinging more freely and hit some better shots.”
Weather, competition or whatever obstacle that could possibly stand on Fennessy’s way hasn’t derailed her one bit.
“I put a lot of time and effort into my preparation for tournaments,” Fennessy said. “I think that’s a big part of my success, and it comes from the process more than anything. I also play a pretty competitive summer schedule each year, so I feel prepared enough going into these tournaments.”
Seacoast has three in top 26 of boys field
Winnacunnet High School senior Jimmy Schouller shot a 3-over-par 74 and finished in a four-way tie for 10th in the boys field. Jack Quinn of Gardiner (Maine) High School won with a 4-under-par 67.
Portsmouth High School sophomore Grey Gagnon shot a 77 and finished in a six-way tie for 19th, and Exeter High School senior Jascha Johnston shot a 78 and finished in a seven-way tie for 26th.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Dover’s Carys Fennessy wins 2nd New England girls golf title
