Caitlin Maralack gets second-place trophy in state golf tournament
August 1, 2012
By Michele Mihalovich
Caitlin Maralack, 13, of Snoqualmie, came away from her first state golf championship with a second-place finish.
She won the Washington Junior Golf Association district tournament to qualify for the state competition July 23-27 at the Meridian Valley Country Club in Kent.
The Snoqualmie girl has been playing since she was 5, and started tournament play at 8, but said competing in her first state competition was “hard to describe.”
“The experience of the first time making it to state, and then to be able to qualify for the final round in state, it was shocking to me,” Maralack said.
Ashley Fitzgibbons, 13, of Sammamish, ran away with the first place title in the 12-13 age category, winning the top spot in all three rounds.
Maralack scored a 77 in the first round, 80 in the second and 85 in the third.
She and Rachel Fujitani, 13, of Bellevue, tied for the second spot with an overall 242 score. Fitzgibbons’ final overall score was 223.
“I learned a lot watching Ashley,” Maralack said. “She’s consistent in all her shots, while I was making little, silly mistakes, especially with putting.”
She said the last hole of the final round was a three-put, but she ended up four-putting it because she was rushing rather than really taking her time with the shot.
Maralack, a freshman this fall, will join the Mount Si High School golf team next spring. But she doesn’t plan to stay idle between now and then.
She said competing at the state level has taught her “that you really have to work hard at it. The only way to improve is to work hard, practicing and playing more competition golf.”
Maralack said playing a normal round of golf helps you work on your game, but competition golf adds pressure to really help you focus.
Maralack plans to continue to hone her skills by competing in tournaments, one in August and three in October.
Michele Mihalovich: 392-6434, ext. 246, or editor@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.
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