Abbey Williams shot 78 Wednesday to lead Walton’s second-place finish in Region 5AAAAA, clinching the Lady Raiders a return trip to the state tournament. Staff photo by Laura Moon

Cherokee rallied from a six-stroke deficit to post a 155 team score and complete a four-stroke victory over Walton in the Region 5AAAAA girls championship Wednesday at City Club Marietta.

Walton’s Abbey Williams and Meredith Singer combined to shoot 80 over the first nine holes of the par-71, 4,715-yard course, while Cherokee’s Meredith Gray and Anna Higgins totaled 86. The back nine, however, proved to be the difference as Cherokee’s duo combined to shoot a 69, compared to 79 from Williams and Singer.

Cherokee will join Walton in the Class AAAAA state championship May 7 at West Lake Country Club in Augusta.

Walton, which captured last year’s region title, will be making its third consecutive trip to the state tournament, while Cherokee, a first-time region champion, will be making a fourth-straight appearance.

“It’s always a goal to make the state tournament and we have,” Walton coach Richard Myrick said. “Three years in a row now we’ve gotten to go, so that’s a big deal. You have to have a ticket and get through region to win state, so we’re pretty excited.”

Etowah fell two strokes shy of a possible state tournament appearance after firing 161. Woodstock (174) was fourth, followed by Lassiter (200) and Marietta (211). Wheeler did not have enough players finish to record a team score.

“I thought we played really well on the front side,” Myrick said. “In golf, there’s no defense. Cherokee played so well on the back (nine), you have to tip your cap to them. They deserve to win. We played better by one stroke than we did last year, shooting 159. Cherokee’s 155 is probably one of the top five scores in the state.

“Normally, if you can shoot 150-anything, you’ll win your region, so for us to shoot 159 and not win, I’m not upset or disappointed by it. I thought our girls played pretty good. Cherokee just played better.”

Williams finished with a 78 and Singer 81. Peyton Melcher added an 86 for Walton, while Krissy Stafford had 89.

“The top three girls on the team are sophomores, and we have one senior, Krissy Stafford,” Myrick said. “She’s been steady all year. Our goal is to get to the state and finish in the top three. We’ll find out this year on how we do.”

Lassiter was led by Corry Edwards (98), Emily Edwards (102) and Isabelle Rudd (129).

Katie Wood led Marietta with a 98, Antonia Hodges had 113 and Katie Schafer finished with 121.

Lindsey McKoy (113) was Wheeler’s lone scorer.

Etowah freshman Melanie Talbott defeated Higgins in a two-hole playoff to capture the individual title in her first region tournament. It also qualified her for the state championship as the low scorer not on an advancing team.

“It feels pretty good (to win),” Talbott said. “I came out today and played decent, but it was good enough to get me first. I’m a little surprised I won.”

Talbott eagled the par-4 18th to finish with 77. Higgins, in the group behind Talbott, carded 34 on the back nine to also score 77, forcing the playoff.

Both players double-bogeyed the par-4 first hole.

Talbott’s tee shot missed left of the fairway and landed near a fence. The right-handed golfer needed two left-handed swings to put the ball in a safe position, and her fourth shot landed on the green 15 feet from the hole, resulting in a two-putt for double bogey.

Higgins’ first shot did find the fairway, but she took four pitch shots to reach the green before making a 2-foot putt.

On the par-4 second hole, Talbott pitched her second shot to within 4 feet of the pin, while Higgins’ birdie attempt rolled 10 feet past the hole before she settled for bogey. Talbott then two-putted for par to win the individual region title.

Joining Talbott and Higgins atop the leaderboard were Williams, Gray, Singer, Woodstock’s Brittany Erdeman (84), Etowah’s Ashley Anthony (84), Melcher, Stafford and Woodstock’s Madison Blackburn (90).

(Reprinted from the MDJ, April 26, 2012. Written by Carlton D. White)