Nelson Holds on for the State Title; Lac qui Parle Valley Takes the Team Honors

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BECKER -- Warm and benign weather conditions greeted the competitors in the final round of the 2023 Class A Girls’ State High School golf tournament at Pebble Creek Golf Club in Becker—but they had difficulty taking advantage of them. Legacy Christian Academy junior Raquelle Nelson, leader by one stroke after Day 1, started strong but ran into trouble near the turn. Then a double on 13 and a triple bogey on 15 brought many of the golfers back into play, but Nelson ultimately steadied herself and scrambled to a 10-over par 82 and two-day total of 161 for a three-shot victory and her first individual state title.

“It was grit,” Nelson said or hanging in during her up-and-down round. “It was just, keep going when things go bad, you’ve got to have a level head on it and just keep going.”

Nelson began her round with a bogey at the first but was true to her word after the previous round in which she vowed not to make a quadruple bogey on the first. Nelson started the tournament six over par after three holes on Tuesday and battled back to wrestle the lead from Courtney Hershberger, who came up just three strokes short of Nelson and in a tie with Kenna Henriksen for second place on Wednesday.

“It started out really slow, but I kind of picked it up there at the end,” Hershberger said, encapsulating her round. “Mentally, it was very challenging. I didn’t finish how I wanted to, but it was still a pretty good experience.”

Nelson feared trouble on the short par 8th when she searched for her drive near the out-of-bounds states left. But she found the ball about 15 yards short of the green and chipped up for a birdie putt. She missed the putt and made par, but it started few holes in which a balky putter would portend a string of four consecutive bogeys through the turn and keep some of the trailing golfers within reach.

She bogied the 9th to finish the front at 1-over par 37. The field, however, was not taking advantage. Hershberger, who had steadied her game with a couple pars coming after five bogeys and a birdie on the front, was not yet making the move she needed to make.

Long and straight off the tee, Nelson put her driver away on the 10th and regained her form off the tee. She drove to about 135 out and cleared the large pond guarding the green front, right to set herself up for a calming par on the number 2 handicap hole. Unfortunately, she was too aggressive on her long birdie putt and rammed it past the hole about 20 feet, settling for a three-putt bogey and a glimmer of hope for the field.

Nelson followed that bogey with two more on 11 and 12, her putter failing her again and suddenly BOLD freshman Kenna Henriksen was back in the mix. But Henriksen couldn’t make a move on Nelson. While Nelson was riding the bogey train through the turn and double bogied the difficult 13th, Henriksen made bogeys on 13 and 14 and found a greenside bunker on 15 for a double of her own that kept her from making a run. Henriksen and the others chasing began appeared to be running out of holes. 

There were a plenty of up and downs in my round,” Henriksen said. “I had a few extra doubles that I didn’t need. But I was proud that I battled back. I really just think ‘next shot.” I know that bad holes happen. I was just telling myself that I am getting them out of my way.”

Still, the match was not yet over. Nelson’s unsteady ship began taking on water, as she followed a double at 13 with a triple at the par-5 14th and it the tournament tightened up. And lurking in a foursome just ahead of Nelson, Lac qui Parle Valley senior Isabelle Jacobs, who was working on the best round of the field (a eight-over 80) and was just three shots behind--joining the pair at 19 under were Henriksen and Hershberger. The race was on.

Nelson, however, followed her triple on 14, was seen smiling on the 16th fairway. Though she had wobbled earlier, she steadied her game and finished the final four holes in one over par to cement the title.

“It’s just a game,” said Nelson of her calm demeanor despite the triple. “I am not playing for myself; I am playing for God. I play for Him. And I just know that if I am supposed to do it, it’s going to happen. I just trust Him.”

For Jacobs, who finishes her career with a fourth-place finish at state, there was solace in her play. Her 80 led Lac qui Parle Valley to the state team title with an exciting one-stroke win over second Filmore Central. Legacy Christian Academy came in third place at seven strokes off the pace. For Jacobs and the rest of the seniors competing, it is on to the next level and college golf, but at least she will have a state champion medal draped around her neck.


THE 2023 MSHSL GIRLS' CLASS A CHAMPIONSHIP
PEBBLE CREEK GOLF CLUB
BECKER, MINN.

WEDNESDAY'S FINAL TEAM RESULTS
1. Lac qui Parle Valley               350-346--696 
2. Fillmore Central                     342-355--697 
3. Legacy Christian Academy    356-347--703 
4. Park Christian                        378-368--746 
5. Pine River-Backus                 399-386--785 
6. Sleepy Eye United                 400-396--796 
7. Fertile-Beltrami                      438-397--835 
8. Russell-Tyler-Ruthton            435-406--841

WEDNESDAY'S FINAL INIDIVDUAL RESULTS
1. Raquelle Nelson, Legacy Christian Academy - 79-82--161 
T2. Courtney Hershberger, Fillmore Central - 81-83--164 
T2. Kenna Henriksen, B O L D - 80-84--164 
4. Isabella Jacobs, Lac qui Parle Valley - 85-80--165 
T5. Kianna Johnson, Walker-Hackensack-Akeley - 85-84--169 
T5. Molly Halvorson, Lac qui Parle Valley - 86-83--169 
T5. Kaitlyn Kittelson, Lac qui Parle Valley - 82-87--169 
8. Lindsey Lund, Dawson-Boyd - 87-83--170 
9. Myleigh Scheevel, Fillmore Central - 81-90--171 
10. Paige Beyer, Border West - 89-86--175

For full results, visit: https://www.mshsl.org/2023-state-golf-results