Finger takes 33rd at state

From the June 5, 2008 Northfield News

By JEFF WALD

COON RAPIDS — Brooke Finger couldn’t have predicted a much better ending to her spring golf season than Wednesday’s final round at the Class AAA Girls State Golf Tournament.

The freshman carded two birdies, and for the most part, stayed out of trouble on the way to firing her lowest score of the season. Finger shot an 8-over par 81 to finish with a two-day 171, which placed 33rd overall in a field of 88 players.

Moorhead’s Ali Nelson took medalist honors with a two-day score of 150, which included a 1-under par 72 Wednesday. New Prague’s Steffi Neisen, who was in the lead after shooting a first-round 71, shot 82 on Wednesday to finish in a tie four fourth at 153. Woodbury won the team championship with a two-day 678. Forest Lake was second at 692.

It was fitting for Finger to end the spring with her best score of the season on the state’s biggest stage, especially after shooting a 90 on Tuesday that could’ve been lower.

“It was a fantastic day, she just played wonderfully,” said Raiders coach Brian Stevens. “For her to bounce back, she’s such a determined golfer. She made some shot selections on Tuesday that were based on trying to make her best score. Wednesday, she never had herself in a whole lot of trouble. For her to take 33rd at the state tournament as a freshman is a huge accomplishment.”

“I missed a par putt on No. 18 for 80, but it was a good round,” Finger said. “It was definitely a fun way to end the season. I kept pretty focused and didn’t have a number in my head that I wanted to shoot. It was a pretty decent score. I was glad that I didn’t shoot high like the day before, it showed what I can do.”

Finger started Wednesday with a 1-over par 38 on the West Course. She hit six of seven fairways on the side and had two birdies. The round also included 32 putts.

“Her play on the West Course was unbelievable,” Stevens said. “There’s three par-5s on that side, and she played them in 2-under par. It was a thing of beauty to watch. She just ate that side up and was laser-focused on that side.”

“My tee ball wasn’t the greatest, but my chipping and putting really saved me,” Finger said. “I came back with my irons, tried to get on in regulation and have a putt for par.”

It looked like things might go south as Finger made the turn. Her first three holes on the East Course consisted of two bogeys and a double bogey. What followed were three pars and three bogeys.

“She got to a point where she had a chance to break 80 in a state tournament, so maybe she didn’t pay as much attention to executing shots,” Stevens said. “When you get to that point, you hope this great round isn’t going to get away from her. She just held it together really well, and it was a testament to her. Things unraveled a little bit on her on Tuesday, and she kept things together.”

The key to Finger’s round in Stevens’ mind was the par-5 No. 6 on the East Course, Finger’s 15th hole of the day. Her tee shot went in the water, but she regrouped and saved a bogey.

“It was her big hole of the day,” Stevens said. “It was a fantastic bogey after a tough tee shot. I was more impressed by it than the birdies. I knew after it that this was going to be a pretty special round for her.”

“I started to think about what my end score would be, that’s what cost me on those couple holes. I didn’t know initially that my drive went into the water, and when I got up there I was pretty disappointed. I just had to get my next shot somewhere close to the green so I could chip on and two-putt for bogey.”

It’s a nice way for Finger to end the season, especially considering that the Raiders were a couple shots from getting the team to the state tournament. Stevens said the potential is there, and that’s the goal for next spring.

“We’re hopeful that this will propel some of the other kids on the team to want to get there,” Stevens said. “We were two shots away from the team going, and if we continue to improve, there’s no reason why we can’t do it as a team.”