Carson girls golf finishes season in 4th

Elayna Shine and Katie Livermore enjoyed career days despite rain throughout their round, but it wasn't enough to boost Carson out of fourth place at the Northern 4A Regional Golf Championships at Eagle Valley Golf Course.

Shine shot an 84 and Livermore an 89 to lead Carson to a second-day total of 358 and a 36-hole total of 744.

Bishop Manogue, led by medalist Alex Phillips' 150, rolled to the team title with a score of 659. Elko was second with a 723 and Spanish Springs was third with 735.

Douglas' Bethany Wurster was the second with a 161 following an even-par 72 on Tuesday. Also moving on to Boulder City, the site of the state championship, are McQueen's Kelsey Roberts (166), South Tahoe's Alexis Holmes (175) and Spanish Springs' duo of Brittany Best (178) and Tess Jones (175).

Shine finished with a 6-hole total of 180, two shots away from a state berth. Whitney Nash finished with a 93 and a two-day total of 190 and Katie Cowperthwaite shot a 96 for a 36-hole total of 185. Lindsay Burroughs was at 195, Livermore at 201 and Meghan Justice at 220.

"I feel bad for Elayna, missing out by one spot," Carson coach Terry Gingell said. "The girls played great today. Elayna had a career-best today in the kind of weather we had. It was a great score.

"Katie Livermore had an 89 (23 strokes lower than her score on the West). Katie is a pretty inexperienced golfer. The East is a lot easier; not as many hazards. She hit the ball straight and played smart golf out there."

It certainly gives Carson hope for next year because Cowperthwaite is the only senior on the team. The Senators already are considered a serious contender for a state berth next fall.

Shine, who had trouble hitting driver off the tee Tuesday, did a much better job keeping it in the fairway Wednesday.

She eagled the 362-yard par-5 5th, hitting a driver and then putting an 8-iron to within 3 feet. The Carson junior said she also had a birdie, but couldn't remember on which hole.

"It was so wet out there," Shine said. "I kept hitting the ball straight and the East is an easier course, and it's easier to get on in two more often."

Livermore said she had never played the East course before, but had watched her brother, Ryan, play there.

"The West course was hard," Livermore said. "This was easier. There weren't as many hazards. I hit it straight and long today."

The highlight of Livermore's round was a birdie on the 316-yard par-4 11th. Livermore drained a 45-footer from the fringe. She also registered pars on Nos. 4, 15 and 17.

Nash improved by four shots from her Tuesday round of 97, but was disappointed with her effort.

"I didn't do that great," she said. "My drives were good and I putted pretty well. My chipping was pretty bad."

Nash needed just 31 putts and had only one three-putt green in her round. Her highlight was a birdie-par combo at Nos. 5 and 6. On No. 5, she hit a wedge to about 4 feet and made the putt.

Nash scored pars at Nos. 6, 11 and 17.

Cowperthwaite, who celebrated her 18th birthday today, turned the front side in 43, which included a 15-foot birdie putt on No.5, a 362-yard par-5.

She ran into problems on the back, registering three 7s, which made it impossible to come back with the 90 that she shot on Tuesday.