Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Springdale Har-Ber girls top Bentonville; Tigers boys defeat Wildcats
BELLA VISTA — Springdale Har-Ber’s girls golf team now enjoys two wins over Bentonville High this season, but the margin of error has been very minimal both times.
The Lady Wildcats, who enjoyed a two-stroke victory against the defending state champion during their invitational tournament earlier this month, pulled off an even closer victory over the Lady Tigers during Thursday’s match at Kingswood Golf Course. Har-Ber compiled a 123 over the nine-hole match, one stroke better than Bentonville.
“There’s almost no room for error,” Har-Ber coach Tim Aynes said. “If we played them 10 times, I think it’s going to come down to one or two strokes every time. We’re very evenly matched.
“Both teams have players who are capable of shooting low scores, and we’re both pretty solid with a No. 3 or No. 4 player that can come in with a solid score, too. Both times we have played Bentonville, it’s come down to that.”
With the girls playing the par-35 front nine, Bentonville’s Kinslee Miller earned medalist honors with a 3-over 38, two strokes ahead of HarBer’s duo of Abbey Ott and Grace Kilcrease. Those two 40 scores, however, proved to be vital because they combined to give the Lady Wildcats the needed one-stroke lead after Lauren Plieman, Bentonville’s No. 2 player, shot a 43.
Macey Wyler then made Har-Ber’s lead stand as she matched Bentonville’s Anya Tillman stroke for stroke and finished with a 43 as well.
“My one and two players are capable of shooting a little
better and finish with a 37 or 38,” Aynes said. “They were maybe off a little bit. I think we had a little bit of a lead going to the last hole but had a double-bogey and a bogey. Overall, it was a pretty good round. That 123 is a solid score, even though we’ve had a few under that.”
The boys match was more lopsided. Bentonville, playing its third straight home match on the Kingswood course, enjoyed its best score of the season with an 8-under 136 to Har-Ber’s 169.
Junior Murphy Allard led the Tigers with a blistering 5-under 31 over the par-36 back nine and earned medalist honors. He started with four straight pars before he delivered five straight birdies.
“I was just sinking putts over those last five holes,” Allard said. “It was a great time. My wedges were also working. I was chipping to about a foot or two of the hole, then sinking the birdie putts.
“It was a great feeling. It was my best round of the year. I had shot below-par rounds before, but not at 5-under. It’s just practice and continuing to grind on the golf course.”
Phisher Phillips added to Bentonville’s cause with a 4-under 32, including an eagle on the par-5 No. 14, while Alexander Apolskis shot an even-par 36. Boston Moxley and Nick Luttrell each shot a 41 to lead Har-Ber.