Karns City’s Chloe Fritch Makes Up Seven-Stroke Deficit to Win Class 2A Title; Moniteau Wins 2A Team Crown

ST. MARYS, Pa. (EYT/D9) — Chloe Fritch rode around Bavarian Hill Golf Course on Monday in a cart, jotting down notes on each hole.

She left her clubs in the car.

(Pictured above, Karns City’s Chloe Fritch)

The Karns City junior made it a point to not take one swing, to not drive or chip or putt one ball the day before the District 9 Girls Golf Championships.

“I had the opportunity to play the day before,” Fritch said. “But I knew if I would play and say I did really well, or if I did really bad, I would compare the day before to today, and I feel like that would have just messed with me.”

So, Fritch decided the first time she’d grip a club on that course would be on the first tee of the district championship tournament on Tuesday.

For 12 holes, that strategy didn’t seem to work.

Fritch trailed Oswayo Valley’s Rylee Thompson by seven strokes. But Fritch sank a long putt on No. 13 for par. Just as she was turning her game around, Thompson was losing hers.

By the 18th, Fritch had made up all seven strokes and the two golfers went into the final hole tied. Fritch made a five for par; Thompson had a double-bogey and after two years of placing runner up, Fritch was the District 9 Class 2A champ.

“I was getting frustrated with myself, but after I made that long par putt, I was like, ‘All right, this is your momentum swing. This is when you turn it around.’ Because I knew I could do it.”

Fritch shot a 45 on the front and a 45 on the back to win. On the turn, she was five stroked behind Thompson, who finished with a 92.

Moniteau’s Mariska Shunk and Taylor Voloch were tied for third and Kendall Sankey was fourth. Moniteau won the team title easily with a 331 with Clearfield second at 365.

(Moniteau won the Class 2A team title)

Bradford’s Payten Leet won the Class 3A individual title with an 85. Bradford also won the Class 3A team crown.

After parring No. 13, Fritch parred No. 14 and Thompson carded a 10.

“I used that to keep the momentum going,” Fritch said. “I was staying confident and upbeat. I was saying, ‘It’s still there. It hasn’t gotten away from me yet. I still have a chance.’”

As a freshman, Fritch was second behind Clarion’s McKayla Kerle while playing with a special brace while recovering from a broken foot.

Last year, she was second again as golfers ran into trouble with aerated greens.

This year, the course, while challenging, was immaculate.

Fritch said there was a lot of strategy involved at Bavarian Hills.

“You can’t just hit it down the middle,” she said. “There were times you had to lay up.”

But Fritch had her handy notes with her. That was something she had forgotten last month when she played in and won the Eagle Amateur Open.

“I remembered them this time,” Fritch said, chuckling.

Now Fritch will gun for a better showing at the PIAA Girls Golf Championships at Penn State.

“Last year I put so much pressure on myself there for no reason because I got there and I felt like people are expecting me to do well,” Fritch said. “So this year, I have no expectations. I just wanna go there, play the best I can, and have fun.”