Shieh wins dramatic playoff
CHARLTON — When Gabrielle Shieh walked up the steep hill to the clubhouse at the Heritage Country Club after 18 holes she had no idea she was only getting started at the MIAA girls golf championship yesterday.
The Concord-Carlisle freshman shot an 11-over 78 and found herself in a stalemate with Boston Latin freshman Anne Walsh.
What unfolded in the playoff could only be described as epic. Shieh and Walsh matched stroke for stroke for the next two hours until Shieh sank a putt on the eighth playoff hole for the victory.
“I honestly did not expect it to go eight holes,” said Shieh. “It was nerve-wracking, but it was also a lot of fun. Anne hit it over the (green) and I knew there was a little opening for me there. I focused on my shot and hit it the best I could. I knew coming in that I’d need a pretty decent score to place high.”
Walsh wanted to just continue the steady play that tied her with Shieh after 18 holes.
“I was just hoping to hit it straight and stay calm,” she said. “I started to get tired at the end but it was a lot of fun.”
Wellesley took home the team title and the victory couldn’t have been any sweeter. After finishing second last year, the Raiders went on a 16-0 tear to win the Bay State Conference and their 383 points edged Notre Dame of Hingham (385) for their first state title since 2013.
Caroline Lane led Wellesley with a 93 and Luisa Coakley shot a 94. Bay State allstar Malina Rufo chipped in with a 97.
“Personally, my play wasn’t my best,” said Rufo. “I started with two triple bogeys, but when I got to the back nine I played it like it was a new round.”
Rufo said the team had the state championship marked on its calendar since finishing second last year.
“We’ve been waiting for this tournament all year,” she said. “We were really focused on winning. This is definitely a satisfying end to our season.”
Wellesley coach Ken Bateman saw his team peak at the right time.
“At that time (last year) I said to them, ‘if you work hard during the offseason you have a good chance to win the state championship,’ ” Bateman said. “They all struggled, but they all fought through their struggles. They played to the best of their ability every single day this year. The last (state title) was completely unexpected. This one, the girls thought they had a good chance.”