Polk’s Kropp among field as state women’s golf tourney begins

Top golfers from across the state, including Polk County’s Ashley Kropp, will compete beginning Monday in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s 33rd women’s state golf championships.

For the 11th year in a row, the NCHSAA is offering classified championships as the number of schools competing in the sport has grown, and for the third consecutive year there will be three different state championships. The two-day events will be held on Monday and Tuesday at three different sites.

Kropp will join the field at the 1A/2A classification at the Longleaf Golf and Country Club in Southern Pines. The 4A championship is set for Pinehurst number six, while the 3A golfers will compete at the West Course at Foxfire Resort and Golf Club in Foxfire Village.

All three championship courses are set for approximately 5,700 yards, with par at 71 for the 1A/2A and 3A events and at 72 for the 4A at Pinehurst. The championships will include a field of 78 golfers in all three tournaments. Golfers are scheduled to tee off beginning at 9 a.m. Monday. Players will be paired differently and tee times adjusted for Tuesday’s round, based on Monday’s scores.

Salisbury has taken top honors among 1A/2A teams in the state the last two years and Salisbury’s Isabella Rusher is the two-time defending individual champ. She was second to teammate Grace Yatawara in the Central Regional last week.

Raleigh Athens Drive and Charlotte Ardrey Kell have combined to win the last five state 4A team titles, with Ardrey Kell winning last year.

Ledford has captured the last two state 3A championships and won this week’s 3A Central Regional by 18 shots. West Henderson, another women’s golf power and winners of state championships in 2009 and ’10, rolled to victory in the Western Regional by 37 strokes. Freshman Callista Rice of North Buncombe could challenge in 3A, as she has had some of the lowest rounds in NCHSAA women’s golf regular season history during the fall.