Mental toughness was the biggest factor for Rochelle sophomore golfer Megan Thiravong during her second trip to the IHSA Class 1A State Championship at Red Tail Run this past weekend.
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DECATUR — Mental toughness was the biggest factor for Rochelle sophomore golfer Megan Thiravong during her second trip to the IHSA Class 1A State Championship at Red Tail Run this past weekend.
Thiravong recorded 183 in the state championship last season as a freshman, finishing 65th overall. But the sophomore standout was far more consistent this time around, shooting two consecutive 80-stroke rounds to place 20th out of 109 individuals with a final score of 160.
“I’m really thankful that I can represent Rochelle at the state level for golf,” Thiravong said. “I’m thankful for all of the support from the high school and the community… I was nervous last year and I wasn’t mentally prepared for the tournament. Being in the last group with some of the best players was kind of scary. But this year I was more prepared for what was coming.”
Thiravong carded 42 on the first nine holes of her state championship round Friday afternoon before rallying for 38 over the last nine holes behind one birdie and five pars. Thiravong was tied for 15th place after Friday’s round, and her high placement allowed her to advance to the second round of competition Saturday.
The sophomore shot 40 on both sides of the course Saturday, totaling three birdies on the first nine holes before cooling off with five pars on the final nine holes.
“My short game was definitely saving me a lot of strokes,” Thiravong said. “I was struggling to get on the green during the second day, but once I got within 70 yards of the holes, I was able to chip on and one-putt which was great… It was hard to get the ball rolling on the first day with the rain and the wind.”
The start of Thiravong’s high school career has been nothing short of historic. She’s the first female player from Rochelle to reach the state championship in back-to-back seasons over the last 26 years, and as she prepares to return as an upperclassman next season, she said she’ll be working to hone a few key areas of her game.
“I’m really thankful for the experience because I’ll know where I can improve,” Thiravong said. “Now that I know I can shoot under 80, I’ll be more prepared for next season. I’m definitely going to work more on my irons and my approach shots to the green.”
