Westford’s Smith caps celebrated career by claiming crown

LONGMEADOW — Defending champion Isabel Brozena chased Molly Smith all day long, but the Westford Academy star couldn’t be caught. Smith’s 2-under-par 70 at Longmeadow Country Club beat North Reading’s Brozena by a stroke and claimed the individual prize at Monday’s girls’ golf state championship.

Smith settled into her game straight away, starting her day out with birdies on the first and second holes. But Brozena stayed within striking distance and saw an opening when Smith’s wedge shot rolled off the green on 18. Smith stayed calm, though, chipping back on and sinking a 10-foot putt to shut the door.

“I knew I needed to make [that putt] to beat her, and I’ve been in those moments before so that helped,” Smith said.

Molly is one of three golfing sisters. Maddie, a freshman, finished with a score of 84. Morgan, the oldest, graduated from Westford Academy last spring and after a season at Phillips Exeter will continue her golf career at Georgetown.

The competition between the sisters makes all three of them better golfers.

“When I’m playing with Morgan and Maddie, I don’t ever want to lose to them,” Molly said. “There are a lot of moments when we’re playing and there’s a putt on the last hole that might make me beat Morgan and that putt is important to me . . . when you’re playing by yourself, you don’t always get putts that matter like that.”

Molly, a senior, recently attempted to qualify for the US Women’s Open, and she’ll join the University of Central Florida’s golf team in the fall.

In its first varsity season, Bishop Feehan (360) claimed the state championship by 19 shots over Wellesley, three of its four golfers shooting 84 or better. Carol Pignato led the way with a 78, Nora Charnley shot an 83, and Hanley Correia carded an 84.

“It feels unreal at the moment, but we’re all super excited,” Pignato said. “We put up some great scores . . . having Hanley and Nora right there beside me, I think every match any of the three of us could be the lowest scorer.”

Pignato competed with the boys’ team in the fall, but knew there was something special brewing with these girls in the spring.

“Coming into the season we knew we were going to do well because we just had the talent it takes,” Pignato said. “We practiced a lot this season . . . we knew we had a chance at winning big.”

Brozena (71) was the only golfer besides Molly Smith to finish under par. Hingham’s Piper Jordan, Ursuline Academy’s Victoria Veator, and Lincoln-Sudbury’s Champa Visetsin tied for third with scores of 77.

In team scoring, Wellesley finished second (379), led by Katie Ng who shot a 79. Ursuline Academy was third (393), anchored by Veator.