Senior Billie Jo Parker closed out her high school golf career Wednesday afternoon, competing in the WIAA Division II Sectional hosted by Kewaskum High School at Kettle Hills Golf Course. Parker entered the sectional as a fourth place individual qualifier and finished with a final round score of 82. Wednesday’s culminating competition for Parker marked the end of a successful four-year run on the Whippet golf team, a fact not lost on her. “I feel grateful that I have been able to be apart of a great golf team. I have met great friends through the team and I have been given many great opportunities,” Parker stated.
On the front nine, Parker got off to a slow start with a triple bogey on the third hole, leaving her to reflect, “I wish I could have taken back my tee shot that went into a bush area.”
Regardless, Parker persisted and fired a two-over par 38 to put herself in early contention, entering the back nine with high aspirations. “I wanted to be able to take that energy from the front nine to the back,” she stated.
Unfortunately, on the back nine, she found some of the early control from the front nine slip away. “Billie Jo is as steady as they come and although she didn’t have the pinpoint accuracy that she had on the front, she did enough to limit the damage and come in with a very solid back nine score”, Coach Wiegman said.
Parker finished the back nine with a 44. When asked what she was feeling as she potentially watched her last putt fall into the hole on the par five 18th, Parker stated, “It kind of hit me that it might be the last putt I make in competition for high school golf. But I also thought about all I have accomplished this year, and it felt great being able to end my season with a good score.”
After watching his senior leader finish her career, Coach Wiegman had some high praise for the four-year varsity player, saying that “Billie Jo continued to battle and persevere through some tough second shot positions. She never lets emotion get in the way of her next shot. I couldn’t be more proud her. Even though she didn’t qualify to play at U-Ridge, she ended the season on a high note, with a really great round.”
