Sullivan South's Kara Carter Runner-Up at 55th Tennessee Girls Amateur
by STEVE WILMOTH
TriCitiesSports.com
July 12, 2018
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The third and final round of the 55th Annual Tenessee Girls Junior Amateur proved the toughest of the week at the Old Fort Golf Club.
Only two golfers shot even par or better on the day, one being Sullivan South rising sophomore Kara Carter, whose 72 propelled the Kingsport native into a second-place finish with a one-under finish of 215.
The other was defending champion Ashley Gilliam, who fired a tournament-best 66 to finish at 201, a stunning 15 shots under par, and score a record-breaking 14 shot victory over Carter.
Carter was able to move up to second from third, bypassing McKinley Cunningham, who carded a 75 for an ever par 216.
Carter was one over on the front nine and one-under on the back, closing with a birdie on two of the final four holes.
Gilliam’s mother, Jennifer (Haley), won the championship in 1989 and good friend Aubree Jones also went back-to-back in 2014 and 2015. Gilliam will have a chance at a three-peat next year.
“It means a lot (to win this tournament),” Gilliam said. “I grew up knowing that (my mom) had won it. Having my name on the trophy close to hers is really special.”
The Manchester native and Mississippi State commit shattered her own tournament scoring records she set just a year ago in the event at 8-under, 208.
Gilliam also bested tournament records for lowest final round score (66) and lowest final 36 holes (134), and also tied the record for lowest overall round (66) and lowest overall round to par (-6).
“Even though I won last year, I definitely learned a lot from the final round,” Gilliam said. She finished the 2017 tournament with a 2-over round and needed a playoff to claim the victory. “Just to keep pushing and don’t just settle for where you are at.”
“I just tried to think that this was not the final round and just keep trying to go low, and focus on my score and not what everyone else is doing.”
Gilliam birdied the first two holes on the day and played bogey-free for the first 39 holes in the tournament. After a bogey on No. 4, Gilliam carded birdies on five of the next seven holes and was six under through 11 holes before paring each of the final seven holes.
“I was just trying to take advantage of the holes I could, the par fives,” explained Gilliam. “I tried not to make too many mistakes on the par fours, which were a little tougher. I was putting really well, so that helped a little bit.”
Gilliam and Cunningham are both set to fly out to California on Friday to compete in the United States Girls’ Junior Amateur, which begins Monday at Spyglass Hills at Pebble Beach.
Franklin’s Angela Chan finished fourth at 220 with Chattanooga signer Rheagan Hall of Cleveland fifth at 225.
Kingsport’s Isbella van der Biest closed with a 79 to claim eighth place overall with a 229.