BATTLE GROUND — Southmont senior Addison Meadows found herself in a cumbersome spot after driving her ball on a par three and landing into a deep bunker.
While Meadows found herself 20-feet from the hole, the steep angle made chipping up and out onto the green challenging.
But it wasn’t anything Meadows hadn’t seen before.
“That’s where I’m good at (golf),” Meadows said. “I can lock in mentally and still play well within the bad conditions. You have to be confident in what you’re doing and that’s what will take you to where you want to be. If you miss a shot, you have to know you can come back because it’s only one shot or one hole.”
Meadows persevered during her fourth IHSAA regional championship at Battle Ground Golf Club. She shot a 74 to place third overall and was the lone Lafayette area golfer to advance to the IHSAA state tournament.
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The score of 74 was the best score and overall finish for Meadows at regionals. Meadows has qualified for the IHSAA state tournament during all four years of her high school career and is committed to Indiana Wesleyan.
“It’s definitely rewarding because I’ve been working since I was three to get to where I am,” Meadows said. “It’s a happy feeling all around.”
Meadows was surrounded by her coach Dave Williamson, parents, her grandfather Joe Tolin and grandmother Irma Tolin. It was “Grandpa Joe” as Meadows calls him, who first stoked her passion for golf.
“He introduced me to golf when I was really little and then its just been a family thing ever since then,” Meadows said. “I really started getting into it and started playing in tournaments since I was six.”
The IHSAA girls golf regional tournament carried plenty of story lines including the unlikely pairing of close friends, a tribute to a loved one and how one woman manages to orchestrate some of the biggest competitions the sport of golf has to offer in the Lafayette area.
Beam continues to bond golf community in Lafayette area
Players have come and gone throughout the years. Taking their four years of playing high school, making some college memories and taking the experiences into their adult lives.
At the center of it all, cultivating the golf culture in Lafayette either with her coaching, words of wisdom or mastery of organization is longtime Lafayette coach Sue Beam.
Beam isn’t just a coach or an organizer. She continues to inspire both current and former athletes.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today without her,” Meadows said. “She’s such a great mentor, she’s such a great person and she’s like my golf grandma almost. She’s been there for me since I was 10 and she’s been the person I can reach out and I know she’ll be there whenever I need her.”
Beam helped Lafayette Jeff capture the IHSAA sectional and regional championship and helped the Bronchos place fourth at state. She has coached both boys and girls golf at the school but shares her knowledge with any player who asks and wants to grow their game.
“The deal with Sue is you know what you’re going to get out of her players,” West Lafayette coach Avery Boaz said. “Whether they are the best players out of the area or pretty darn good, they are always going to be the best behaved and do things the right way. Because that’s what Sue has always done.”
Beam continues to give her support to local golf by counting scores and makes sure the facilities are cared for both before and after a tournament ends.
Her passion still running as strong as ever.
“I just love being with the kids,” Beam said. “I really enjoy getting to know them, watching them play and watching them grow. Some of them I’ve known since they were 7-9 years old when they play on the Central Indiana Junior Golf Association Tour with me. And it’s lifelong friendships and that’s a joy for me to be around.”
Royer pays tribute to childhood friend
Central Catholic senior Sophie Royer wears a purple bow around her hair. She wears it at each golf match as a reminder of the memory she carries for a friend she lost early in her youth
The bow acts as a way of honoring Jamie Stockdale. Stockdale died when she was six years old of brain cancer.
Even after all the time that’s gone by, Royer continues to cherish her and keep Stockdale’s memory alive.
“She means the world to me,” Royer said. “I know she’s with me everyday and I try to live life like she did. By being kind to everyone and thanking God for the life he has given me.”
Close friends Campbell and Meadows share unlikely pairing
Laughter ensued during the IHSAA regional championship between Meadows and Brownsberg senior Maddie Campbell.
The two chuckled because Campbell during an already wet and windy day, has brought out a battery powered fan.
“It was already windy and she didn’t need a fan,” Campbell said.
Meadows and Campbell have been close friends since 2021 after meeting at a summer golf tournament.
“We pretty much bonded over golf and chicken alfredo,” Campbell said.
Neither could believe their luck when they found out they’d be playing together in the final tournament before state.
“She’s kind of my bestie,” Meadows said. “It was just so perfect.”
Even though the two were rivals on Saturday, the pairing brought the best out of each other. By the end of regionals both Campbell and Meadows had tied with scores of 74 to advance into the IHSAA state championship.
Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at ehanson@jconline.com, on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: IHSAA girls golf three takeaways from Battle Ground regional
