Pictured above: North Pocono’s Gwen Powell watches a putt in the subregional championships. (Tony Callaio Photo)
By Tom Robinson, NEPASportsNation.com
GREENFIELD TWP. – Gwen Powell used lessons learned in her first two trips to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Individual Golf Championships to make it back to a third.
Now, she hopes to put to use what she learned by winning the Happy Valley Invitational this summer on the new home of the state tournament.
Powell recovered from a potentially disastrous hole to rally for her third district title, finishing first in the District 2-4 Class 3A Subregional Oct. 3 at Elkview Country Club.
After shooting 75 to win the subregional championship, Powell discussed what was picked up from two state tournament appearances beyond the fact that she needed to keep putting hours into her game.
“You can’t let one hole set you back,” Powell said. “Just like today, I couldn’t let that hole get to me.
“If I did, I wouldn’t be in the place I am now.”
If ever a hole could set a player off course, it was the par-4, fourth at Elkview as it impacted Powell’s round in the subregional.
Powell was under par and in the lead, nearly halfway through her round in the shot-gun start format when she placed her drive in a decent position in the right rough 75 yards from the green.
An uphill second shot was skulled well beyond the tiered green. Powell, however, liked the way she struck the comeback attempt on her third shot – “I hit it where I wanted to” – only to watch it roll all the off the front of the green.
Two more chips that rolled off the green back to her were followed by a three-putt.
“I was just shocked,” Powell said. “I eventually get it up there; it’s still a tough green and you have that emotion going on and I three-putt.”
Two bogeys followed and Tunkhannock’s Hallie Brown, the 2021 Class 2A champion before the Lady Tigers moved up in classification, took the lead.
Powell, however, bounced back to play 3-under over the last seven holes, beginning with a birdie at 7 when she stuck her tee shot two feet from the pin.
“That par-3 down the hill, I let my emotions go,” Powell said. “I told myself I had to come back.
“ … I hit my 8-iron about 137 yards down the hill. The winds going everywhere, so you don’t know, I just tried to put a good swing on it. I hit it right in front of the pin and it rolled just a couple feet.”
The win sent Powell back to the state tournament where she hopes to show off a stronger game than in years past. She feels her game is better off the tee, on the green and essentially everywhere in between.
Powell credits proper club fitting, particularly with a new driver; the confidence gained in a new putter; and swing tips from Elmhurst Country Club teaching pro Anthony Sebastianelli that have been especially helpful in the accuracy of her iron game.
“I did hit my driver very well the last few years, but this new driver, it makes a world of difference hitting it 30 yards further,” said Powell, who tied for fifth in Class 3A with a 76 as a freshman two years ago.
The subregional featured 11 players pursuing three state berths.
Brown settled into second with a 78.
Honesdale’s Kayla Benson claimed the other spot with an 81.
Sienna Smith, a starter on the Crestwood co-ed squad that won the District 2 Class 3A boys team title, shot 88 to place fourth, 10 strokes ahead of the rest of the field.
MORE DISTRICT COVERAGE
Full scoreboard: District 2 individual golf championship scores – NEPA Sports Nation.
Boys photo gallery: District 2 Boys Golf photo gallery – NEPA Sports Nation.
Girls photo gallery: District 2 Girls Golf photo gallery – NEPA Sports Nation.
Class 3A boys story: ‘Paupack’s Wortmann takes title – NEPA Sports Nation.
Class 2A boys story: Par-breaking round produced title for Wyoming Seminary’s Werner – NEPA Sports Nation.
