HACIENDA HEIGHTS – When Beth Lille stood over her ball on the fifth fairway at Hacienda Country Club on Thursday, the Troy junior didn’t really know what to do.
She had 131 yards left to the pin, which put her in between clubs. Eventually, she pulled her 9 iron out of her bag and decided to swing it a bit softer than usual.
The result couldn’t have been much better. The ball landed 2 inches from the hole and hopped in for an eagle.
That added to her three birdies on the front nine added up to a school-record performance for a girls golfer which helped Troy down Foothill, 211-219.
Lillie’s 4-under-par 32 gave her medalist honors for the second day in a row. Katie Stribling and Madie Chou led the Knights (0-2), shooting a 33 and 36, respectively.
“I have been hitting my drives well, but I have finally started hitting my irons good too,” said Lille, who verbally committed to Virginia in July. “I haven’t done that (holed out for an eagle) in a long time, so it was fun.”
Freshman Kaylee Sakoda added a 38 for the Warriors (5-1), the third time in four matches this season that she broke 40.
“She hits the ball farther than I thought she would, and she stays out of trouble,” Troy coach Jerry Cowgill said. “The pressure doesn’t bother her.”
It doesn’t phase Lillie much theses days either, not since she played a practice round with Lexi Thompson at the U.S. Women’s Open earlier this summer. Lillie called playing in the major “the most crazy thing I have ever done.” So many people were in the gallery and there were TV cameras everywhere.
“So I was out-of-my-mind nervous,” Lillie said. “I definitely don’t get nervous any more after playing in the U.S. Open.”
She posted rounds of 77 and 75 at Lancaster Country Club in Lancaster, Penn. Playing in the Open, Lillie said, was more than she ever expected.
“They treated us like royalty,” Lillie said. “It definitely makes you want to go back.”
