Christina Johnson admits she’s still learning when it comes to golf.
The Bentonville junior considers herself not as experienced as other high school golfers in the area, despite the fact she’s in her third season with the Lady Tigers.
“I really haven’t been playing that long,” she said. “I know most of the rules, but there are still times when I have to ask about something. I ask what’s the ruling on a certain situation and ask what is the best situation for me at that moment.”
But no lesson she has learned or will learn will be more painful than the one she experienced last season during the 7A-West Conference tournament at Bella Vista Country Club.
Playing on the back nine, Johnson hit a putt within two inches of the hole. Thinking the shot could be considered a gimme, Johnson picked up the ball at that point, added a stroke to her total on that hole and proceeded to the next one.
But that wasn’t the case. Another player in her group asked about it, then relayed Johnson’s response to a coach. The end result: Johnson was disqualified.
“I just let my emotions get the best of me,” she said. “I had some horrible shots that day, and when I got to that hole, I just slipped up. I didn’t know I had to putt the ball in.
“When I found out (about the disqualification), I was obviously upset. I asked myself how could I have done something like that.”
Had Johnson not been disqualified, she would have finished the round with an 80 and had earned all-conference honors.
“It was one of those mistakes that just happened,” Bentonville coach Lindsey Davis said. “She made a bad decision and let her frustration get the best of her that day.”
Adding salt to the wound was the fact it hurt Bentonville in the league standings. Instead of finishing third in the conference and sending all of their players to the state tournament, the Lady Tigers fell to fifth and were allowed to have only two players participate.
“I felt so bad about what I had done,” Johnson said. “I felt like I had messed up and let the team down. I was mad at myself for anything like that to happen.”
Johnson said she doesn’t dwell on the incident or the disqualification much any more, but it still serves as a reminder when she’s out on the course these days.
“It makes me think about what I’m doing and making sure I’m doing the right thing,” she said. “There are still things when I have to ask about. But I remind myself not to let my emotions get the best of me, and I think about what I’m doing on the course before I actually do it.
“It’s really changed the way I play.”
Davis believes the lesson Johnson learned that day will benefit her, and the Lady Tigers as well.
“As far as individually, I think Christina is an all-state golfer and will help lead this team to the state tournament,” she said. “She’s a steady golfer and one of the more coachable players out there, and she reaches her goals in an effective manner.
Johnson is also making sure that the younger players on her team won’t repeat such a mistake.
“When I’m practicing with the younger girls on our team, I make sure they know the rules and won’t get disqualified,” she said.
Profile
Christina Johnson
SCHOOL: Bentonville
CLASS: Junior
NOTABLE: Johnson is in her third year with the Lady Tigers golf team and is considered the team’s top player, according to Bentonville coach Lindsey Davis. ... She is one of five juniors that make up five of Bentonville’s top six players, joining classmates Ali Robinson, Krystal Manasco, Raven Riley and Miranda Azbill.