Mac Golf: Findley places 14th at state

Every dial was turned up to 11 on Monday and Tuesday as the 5A and 6A Girls State Golf Championship took over OGA Golf Course in Woodburn.

Among the 14 full teams and 98 individuals playing in the 6A competition were McMinnville’s varsity girls, who placed 13th as a team with a total score of 803 ( 227) over two days on the links.

Taking the team crown was Jesuit with a score of 645 ( 69), marking the program’s fifth championship since 2018. Places two through five went to Sunset (660, 84), Lake Oswego (684, 108), Mountainside (696, 120) and West Linn (703, 127).

Winning the Pacific Conference, which they did, was the Grizzlies’ biggest goal of the season. A state appearance was icing on the cake, but it also proved to be a valuable experience for the likes of junior Mabel Findley.

Mac’s No. 1 golfer and the Pacific Conference Girls Golfer of the Year led her team in Woodburn, placing 14th as an individual with a score of 162 ( 18).

Findley shot a an 82 ( 10) on a beautiful, non-turbulent weather day on Monday. She followed up on Tuesday with an 80 ( 8) on the par-72 course.

Since her freshman season, Findley has improved with each appearance at state.

In 2024, she hit two rounds of 86 (172) and placed 27th at Trysting Tree Golf Course in Corvallis. Last season at Emerald Valley Golf Club in Creswell, Findley finished 19th with a score of 165.

Though seeing better results, she struggled with approach shots from around 50 yards, and was back on the range on Wednesday, refining her craft for next season.

“She knows that she needs to dial that shot in,” Grizzlies’ Head Coach Ben Heuberger said.

A keen sight was Findley’s approach from the tees, where her drives were longer than nearly anyone else in the field, according to Heuberger.

Findley was paired with Kate Ly (Cleveland), Aubrey Sorensen (Sprague) and Jessi Tantog (Clackamas) and was the third highest placer of her group after Ly (3rd, 146, 2) and Tantog (8th, 152, 8).

The Grizzlies’ next highest placer was freshman Gabriela Diamond in 56th. Diamond, like many Grizzlies and inexperienced golfers in the field, struggled to carry balls over the many hazards at OGA. After opening with a score of 102 ( 30) on day one, she improved on day two with a 98 ( 26) to finish at 200 ( 56).

Next was senior Maria Burke, who placed 60th while shooting 204 ( 60). Burke shot 99 ( 27) on Monday but fell behind on Tuesday with a round of 105 ( 33) as long days and slower play paid their toll.

“The distance was a little bit tough. The length of the course, and my less experienced golfers had trouble hitting the ball far enough to carry over of the hazards, but overall, it was a great experience,” Heuberger said.

Rounding out the Bears’ tournament were sophomore Isobel Rudolph and junior Della Kiger. Rudolph placed 80th with 242 ( 98). Kiger saw the biggest day-to-day improvement of any of her teammates. The junior shot 117 ( 45) on Tuesday, 10 strokes less than Monday total of 127, to finish in 81st at 244 ( 100).

Hannah Wendorf, a sophomore from Lakeridge, was the tournament’s individual champion and the only golfer to shoot under par on both days. She ended with a total score of 139 (-5).

While the girls competed in Woodburn, 6A boys’ competition took place at Emerald Valley, with senior Gage Slaughter representing McMinnville as the school’s only state qualifier.

Slaughter teed off at 1:33 p.m. on Monday in a group of four with Anderson Webb (Sprague), David Lim (Clackamas) and Calvin Johnson (Glencoe).

Mac’s co-opted senior from Western Christian High School was slow out of the gates, unable to punch in his first birdie until a 300-yard par-4 on hole eight. However, he bookended the hole with bogeys.

Slaughter’s day one ended with him 5-over on the par-72 course.

On Tuesday, Slaughter conquered the front nine with more efficiency, securing birdies on a 475-yard par-5 at hole three and another on eight. Hurting his final total were a pair of double bogeys, as he finished his second round 7-over-par.

Slaughter’s final score was 156 ( 12), good enough for 23rd place.

The individual boys’ champion was Lake Oswego senior Drew Woolworth, who finished at 133 (-11) with days of 67 (-5) and 66 (-6). The team title was won by West Linn with a total score of 599 ( 23). It was the Lions’ first boys golf championship in school history as they beat Lake Oswego, which placed second overall at 605 ( 29).