With blurry vision created by relentless rain drops, Molly Bilsborough lands her tee shot on the 17th green of the Lewis River golf course Thursday. The CHS senior won the Chieftain Invitational's closest to the pin challenge on this hole.
(Dan Trujillo/Post-Record)Rivers ran through the greens at the Lewis River golf course Thursday, and the filled cups of fluid turned into cascading water falls.
Most sane individuals would not be out golfing in this weather, but the annual Chieftain Invitational was scheduled. Girls from 12 Southwest Washington high schools had to grin it and bear it.
“It got to a point where it couldn’t get much worse,” said Camas High School senior Molly Bilsborough. “You just had to play with what you had and make the best of it.”
Mountain View won the tournament with a combined score of 377. Camas (386) edged Union (388) for second place. Fort Vancouver’s Bridget Standard finished in first place individually with a sloppy 18-hole score of 82 strokes.
Elise Filuk earned fourth place for the Papermakers with a round of 88 strokes. Her best drive of the day came on the 12th hole. She also made birdie on 15. Then, it started to rain harder and it would never let up.
“Under these conditions, I think I played well but I was a little disappointed with my score,” Filuk said.
Finding out she was one of only six golfers in the field to break 90 didn’t change Filuk’s mood. She knows she can play better, and she can’t wait to come back and play Lewis River again on a sunny day before the district tournament. That’s the sign of a determined golfer.
“I want to focus on each course, have fun and keep growing in the sport. I know I’m going to be playing it for years and years,” Filuk said. “I definitely love golf. It’s a challenge. It’s my best friend and my worst enemy.”
Bilsborough scored a 95 for Camas. She also won the closest to the pin challenge on the 17th hole. Maddie Miller delivered a 97, Connie Wang chipped in a 105, and Erin Marrinan and Skyla Stifter each turned in a 106.
“The kids played great,” said head coach Bob Foster. “They’re gamers. They didn’t quit. They just kept plugging away.”
The Papermakers kicked off the week with a 182-195 victory against Battle Ground April 15, at Camas Meadows. Filuk shot a 42, Miller added a 45, Bilborough followed with a 46 and Marrinan rolled in a 49.
