Jirele makes strides at state golf tournament
A second straight trip to the state golf tournament leaves Owatonna’s Carmen Jirele wanting more.
She finished her freshman season with a 163 at Bunker Hills in Coon Rapids last week. That was enough for 34th place, 14 strokes better than a year earlier.
“It was better because I feel like I had experience,” she said. “I wasn’t as nervous going into this year as I was last year. Just going out there and playing for fun…I did accomplish what I wanted to.”
Coach Jason Kaytor said her confidence was evident.
“Her first drive was absolutely perfect… She stayed calm and relaxed throughout the whole thing. And you can tell the experience of one year really helped her,” he said.
She had a big disparity between her first nine and second nine each day. She felt a little flustered to start her round, “and I knew coming into the second nine, I needed to calm down, focus on the next shot, and pay attention to what I’m doing, and finish strong.”
Kaytor said Jirele liked the back nine better.
“She just fired shots and she hit a couple of really good, tough shots curving around trees…She just hit greens, and her chipping. Her chipping has just been phenomenal all season long,” which put her in position for easy two-putts, he said.
Jirele said her putting “was not the greatest at Bunker, and I feel that really held me back. So, that’s probably what I’ll be working on…I like practicing things and getting better at stuff. And then I feel like the next tournament or event when you do better at that, it rewards your practice, and it feels really good.
“I just enjoyed my time there. Hope to make it back next year.”
She rolls right into summer golf and Junior PGA events. Jirele has the goal of qualifying for nationals of the Drive, Chip, and Putt competition after just missing it last summer.
She was thrilled to see the progress of the team with a third-place regular season finish in the Big Nine.
“I think our team really improved this year, and it showed at meets and events and we never shot over 400 as a team and we only shot under 400 once last year,” she said. “I think the team really worked hard to work together this year and do the best we can.”
The team shot its best round of the season in its final Big Nine event.
“That was really exciting,” said Kaytor.
OHS graduates five seniors, three of whom were regulars in the varsity lineup, he added.
“We’ve got some hungry girls out there for golf, and I really like to see that, and they’re friends.”