At this point, one cannot help but gaze upon the numbers Erie’s Logan Hale is putting up this season with a look of astonishment. The Tigers’ co-ace has been on a tear, but her Tuesday performance at Coal Creek might have shown just how few flaws there are in her game. Other familiar faces stepped up this week, while a couple of players from out east and down south definitely made their presence known at some big tournaments.

The Big Kahuna

If the Valor Christian girls golf team has gone about the first part of the 2024 season rather quietly, the Eagles are no longer flying low. The defending Class 5A state champions showed up in full force at the Ashley Forey Invitational on Monday, simply dominating a loaded field at The Club at Rolling Hills — to the tune of a 27-stroke victory over second-place Colorado Academy (224 to 251). All four of Valor’s girls placed top-10, led by defending champ Brenna Higgins (3-under-par 70) and followed closely by freshman Ella Scott (75) and Bella Eide (79). Six players from four different schools carded 79 or better, including Ralston Valley’s Addison Hines (74), Littleton’s Zoe Bar-Or (74) and CA’s Avery Lent (78).

Elsewhere

Denver Christian put together one of its best league tournaments of the season so far on Wednesday, tying Colorado Academy at the top of the team standings (245 strokes) as freshman Sarah Farmer shot a 78 at Broken Tee. Hope Torres (Prospect Ridge) and Maddy Bante (St. Mary’s Academy) tied for medalist honors at 77.

Sixteen players were at 82 or better during Tuesday’s Continental League tournament at Broken Tee. Thanks to a hot front nine, Rock Canyon’s Ashley Chang earned medalist honors with a 1-under 69.

Stratton’s Anne Marie Schaal won two events this week, shooting 80 at the Stratton Golf Course to win her home invitational on Friday and then winning the Yuma Invite at Indian Hills.

Manitou’s Addie Dorsey was 10 strokes better than the field at Sand Creek’s Scorpion Invitational, shooting 4-over 76 at Valley Hi.

Rye and Pueblo West were within a single stroke of each other at the Pueblo East Lady Golf Invite (Rye won, 269 to 270) at Walking Stick.

Pueblo Central’s Sofia Contreras carded a 79 to win by three strokes at the Pueblo East event, but she was even better on Monday at the Lady Bulldog Invite by shooting 75 at the same course.

Hunting the Mega Bonus

(No Laying Up)

Hale mined diamonds at Coal Creek on Tuesday. Her 7-under 65 during Front Range League play topped a field that included nine players who were at 80 or better. Yet she won by 10 strokes, going 33-32 with eight total birdies.

It’s difficult to bogey five holes and still finish under par, but Higgins managed to do just that by having a wild back nine at Rolling Hills. She tallied birdies on holes 10, 12, 13 and 18 and also eagled 15. On the par-5’s, Higgins was 6-under for the round.

Rock Canyon’s Chang went 3-under on the front nine at Broken Tee on Tuesday and rode that to a four-stroke win and a 1-under 69.