Robinson wins playoff to finish runner-up
HOT SPRINGS — Siloam Springs senior Kaitlyn Robinson earned herself one more match Wednesday at the Class 5A Girls State Tournament.
Robinson shot an 18-hole round of 80 and then won a three-hole playoff against Greenbrier’s Olivia Parker and Sheridan’s Emma Hester to earn Class 5A state individual runner-up honors at Hot Springs Country Club.
Robinson tapped in for birdie on the third playoff hole to cap the best round of her career, while Parker parred the hole and Hester bogeyed.
“My heart was racing,” Robinson told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. “It was really, really intense, but I had the encouragement
of my teammates and that was more than I could ask for. It pushed me through.”
Siloam Springs golf coach Michael Robertson said Robinson enjoyed a great celebration with her mom after sinking the birdie.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen her any happier,” Robertson said. “That was something she worked really hard for. I don’t think the average person understands how big of a deal that is.”
Robinson will now get the chance to play in the Arkansas State Overall Tournament on Oct. 11 at Pleasant Valley Country Club in Little Rock. It’s the fifth time a Lady Panther will play in the Overall, joining Emery Rakestraw (2011), Shelby Crawley (2013) and Brinkley Beever (2016, 2017). Robinson’s runner-up finish is the second in school history along with Beever in 2017.
“I beat my previous best by four strokes,” Robinson told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. “Just coming out of the round I was super happy. To be able to go on and play more golf, that’s just great.”
As a team, Siloam Springs finished fifth, a count three-score of 293. Hot Springs Lakeside won the state title with a 263, followed by Mountain Home 268, Greenwood 283 and Sheridan 288. Madison Holmes of Paragould was the individual state champion with a round of 74.
Senior McKenzie Blanchard shot a 101 for the Lady Panthers, while Jaelee Snyder shot 112 and Kendall McCormick 116.
Robertson said the Lady Panthers shot well in the practice round on Tuesday but weren’t able to carry that over as a team on Wednesday.
“It doesn’t take away from what they’ve done,” he said. “They’ve accomplished so much in four years. We had to have three (good) scores. We didn’t get three scores.”