Eagle’s Spalding surprises to win 5A District Three girls golf title

A 30 mph wind blowing across Boise Ranch Golf Course on Monday created havoc at the 5A District Three girls tournament. And Eagle senior Hailey Spalding took advantage.

The Mustangs’ No. 3 golfer shot an eight-over 79 to win the district championship and her first tournament since the Gate City Invitational in Pocatello two years ago.

Spalding secured the title on No. 18, lifting her approach shot from 155 yards out with her hybrid club onto the hilly green. Only when she climbed the hill did she realize it landed a foot from the cup, allowing her to tap in for birdie to edge Timberline’s Katie Cudworth, the district favorite, by a stroke for the title.

“My short game was alright today,” Spalding said. “I had a couple up and downs, and I think that saved my game.”

Spalding won a pair of nine-hole, four-team meets this season. Eagle coach John Hartz said her consistent approach always finds her inside the top 10 at bigger tournaments. It paid off Monday with the wind blowing shots around the course in southwest Boise.

“She’s so steady,” Hartz said. “She doesn’t get too high on birdies, doesn’t get too low on bogeys. We know her score is going to be great every round because she’s so steady.”

Timberline won the team title, shooting a 352, two strokes ahead of Mountain View and Eagle. Rocky Mountain and Boise also qualified as teams for the 5A state tournament May 16-17 at BanBury Golf Course in Eagle.

OSTROM DOMINATES, MIDDLETON REPEATS

Bishop Kelly senior Hunter Ostrom, a Notre Dame signee, won the 4A District Three boys title for the third straight year, firing a 68 to edge teammate Sam Goodman by seven strokes.

The Knights ran away with the boys title, taking the top five individual spots for a team score of 295, 59 strokes ahead of Middleton.

The Middleton girls won their second straight district title at 377, 43 shots clear of Bishop Kelly. The Knights’ Lizzy Godinho edged teammate Hannah Holloway by one stroke for the individual title at 85.

COLE VALLEY BOYS, NAMPA CHRISTIAN GIRLS WIN

Cole Valley edged Nampa Christian by 11 strokes (318-329) for the 2A District Three boys title, and Nampa Christian topped Cole Valley Christian 27 strokes (432-459) for the girls title.

Landon Powell of Nampa Christian won the boys individual title at 76. Cole Valley’s Rylie Brown earned the girls individual title at 104.

This story was originally published May 9, 2016 at 11:18 PM with the headline "Eagle’s Spalding surprises to win 5A District Three girls golf title."