Three Lady Hound golfers reflect on recent trip to state tournament

It was a successful year for the Corbin girls golf team. Showing continued improvement throughout the season, the Lady Hounds capped off their fall campaign by sending three players to the Kentucky High School Athletic Association’s state championship tournament.

The CHS girls golfers finished the region championship meet in Somerset just a few strokes away from sending the entire team to state, but in the end it was three players – Hannah Perry, Makena Myatt and Kalyn Watkins – who ultimately made the cut.

“Getting to end the season at state was pretty cool, because I have never got to do that,” said Perry, who was one of the junior leaders on this year’s team along with Addison Bonham and Mackenzie Hutton.

Perry’s experience at the state championship opening round, played last week in Winchester, was made extra-unique due to the fact that she was the very first player to tee off in the event. “It was a crazy course, and it was a little nerve wracking because I was the first one to tee off for the whole match,” she said. “It was 8 a.m., and I was feeling the pressure of being the first one to go, but once I got in there and got comfortable I had a really great time.”

Perry’s journey to the state tournament was also unique due to the fact that she had to compete in a special playoff with another golfer at the region meet in order to qualify. “It was pretty scary, but I won it,” she said. “We both tied for the tenth spot to go to state, so we had to play in a playoff. We tied again after the first whole of the playoff, and we just had to keep playing until one of us was able to beat the other. Thankfully, we ended up only having to play two holes.”

Joining Perry at state were two seventh grade teammates – Makena Myatt and Kalyn Watkins.

Myatt recalled her experience at the region meet, saying, “I had some good holes and some bad holes. At times I was stressed about maybe not being able to make it, but overall the team did really well. It is really exciting that three of us were able to make it to state.”

“It was special,” Watkins said of getting to compete in Winchester. “It was a new course for us, and it was a pretty long course. I just hope that we can make it past region as a team next season, and I hope that younger players will continue to get involved.”

“I am super-proud of how hard they’ve worked all season,” Head Coach Danielle Hardin said of her team. “Team-wide, everyone was able to shatter their personal goals and have success.”

Speaking specifically about Myatt and Watkins, Hardin said, “With these two being the youngest in the field, I am so proud of all that they have been able to accomplish.

Hardin’s team is young overall, including another seventh grader, Paige Kfoury, a sixth grader, Campbell Gardner, and freshmen Dawson Hutton and Brooke Kfoury. The Lady Hound golf team did not field any senior players in 2023.

“I am really proud of my younger teammates,” said Perry. “It makes me excited for the future, because they will continue to grow and get better with each season.”

As for her final thoughts on competing at state, Perry said, “It was a great experience just getting to be in that environment. I feel lucky, because there were so many who didn’t get that opportunity.”