Thomas rides roller coaster back to state
Michigan City senior puts regional behind her, hopes for top-10 finish
Michigan City senior Lia Thomas was a wreck when she walked off the last hole at Battle Ground Golf Club in the Lafayette Jefferson Regional on Saturday.
Thomas had shot a 9-over 81, and she was near tears, thinking she had failed to qualify for the state meet.
Thomas’ instincts were wrong. “I saw my assistant coach when I finished, and I thought he was going to console me,” she said. “It turned out to be the opposite.”
Thomas was able to decompress after she knew she had qualified for state for the third straight year. Her teammate Taylor Skibinski, who shot a 78, qualified for the second straight year. Crown Point, which finished third at the regional, is the only local team to qualify.
It was a roller coaster of a round for Thomas, the 2019 Post-Tribune Girls Golfer of the Year.
She made birdie on No. 7 and then followed that with a triple bogey on No. 8 after hitting a ball out of bounds.
On No. 17, Thomas made bogey. That was the point where she really felt like she was in trouble.
It turned out to be a highscoring day for everyone. The wind was howling hard, and the golf course was dry.
Thomas said her coach, Drew White, had told her as she made the turn after shooting a 40 that she was still in it. Thomas didn’t know what to believe then.
“He kept telling me that I had a chance,” she said. “I just didn’t know if he was trying to make me feel better. When I went out of bounds, I got really nervous.”
White said Thomas makes it hard for herself.
“She won the Crown Point Invitational with an 80 earlier in the season,” White said. “She wasn’t happy with that. She wants
to dictate what a good round is. She always has a number in mind.
“Sometimes, you just have to be one of the best players on the course on a given day. It’s one of those sports where 80 might not be good one day and 81 is good enough on another day. I’m just through-theroof happy for Lia and
Taylor.”
Said Thomas: “I’m just glad I was able to redeem myself. I would not have liked to end this way in my senior year.”
Thomas finished the round with a comfortable two-putt par.
She made the cut by one stroke. The last qualifying score was 82.
Thomas wants to have a good finish to her career.
In 2018, Thomas tied for 44th at state. Last season, she tied for 27th. Her goal is to exceed that this weekend. The two-day state meet begins Friday at Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel.
“I want to have two solid rounds to finish my senior year,” she said.
White said anything is possible for Thomas. That includes a top-10 finish.
“I know she wants to be on the podium (top 10),” he said. “She is capable of doing that if she can string together a couple of good rounds.”