Senn steady in playoff; Kilcrease holds on

There was a good bit of drama and a whole lot of uncertainty Thursday at Little Rock's Pleasant Valley Country Club.

Bentonville senior Michael Senn provided the dramatics, winning the boys portion of the state Overall with a 5-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole.

"It's definitely one where you kinda dream about, having that 4-, 5-footer just to get there and have a chance to win it," said Senn, who beat Paragould's Simon McBride in the playoff.

Girls winner Grace Kilcrease (6-over 78) of Springdale Har-Ber was not nearly as euphoric when she walked off the 18th green about 90 minutes later.

"I thought I didn't get top 3," said Kilcrease, who was heading to the parking lot. "We were leaving."

Kilcrease, who played the final three holes in 4 over, was preparing to go Hot Springs with her father John to get in a practice round at Hot Springs Country Club, where she will play in an American Junior Golf Association event this weekend.

One thing Kilcrease didn't figure on was the three groups playing behind her having a difficult time as the wind started blowing on Pleasant Valley's rigorous closing stretch.

"Sometimes in golf you get lucky." Kilcrease said. "Today, I got lucky."

Senn made his luck to win the boys title, twice making birdie on the 18th hole -- once to complete his 1-over round of 73 and used a second birdie to win the playoff.

Senn, playing in the fourth-to-last grouping, had no idea whether his 1-over 73 would be good enough to win or even make a playoff.

He watched as the final threesome that included McBride, the Class 5A medalist, and Phisher Phillips, the 6A medalist, came to the final hole, a 518-yard par 5, at 2 over with a chance to win, tie or finish out of top three altogether.

Phillips, trying for the green in two, said he hit a solid shot at the green but "tugged it" just enough to land in the water hazard.

A bogey 6 left Phillips at 3 over and fourth in the field of 17.

Shiloh Christian's Ben Fowler, playing in the group with Senn, also had a chance to reach 1 over but missed his birdie opportunity to remain 2 over, alone in third.

McBride said he knew he needed to birdie to get into a playoff, and chipped up within 4 feet, then made the birdie putt.

McBride reached the 18th in two shots in the playoff, and was just off the green to the right, about 35 feet from the pin, while Senn was left of the putting surface, facing a level chip.

McBride saw his eagle putt as one that would break to the left, and he played his putt with plenty of room for a break that never arrived and ended up 12 feet from birdie.

"I hit a good putt," McBride said. "There's a slope running down there, and it stayed dead straight. I don't know about that one.

"It sucks, because I'm a senior and I'm never going to get another chance at it. And I've gotten second two years in a row.

"So it's kinda deflating."

Senn was as hyped as McBride was disappointed, especially after his second shot in the playoff went left of the green guarded by water.

"It was very risky," Senn said. " I pulled it and didn't hit it the best, actually. Got fortunate that it carried the water. It was a really straightforward, simple chip into the grain. I was able to control the spin, actually."

Senn watched as McBride's birdie putt slid past the cup, leaving him with 5 feet to victory.

"That's what's gotten me to the next level, making a few of those," he said.

There wasn't as much pressure on Senn after watching McBride's birdie putt slide past.

"I knew the best scenario is I make it I win," Senn said. "The worst scenario is we move on to No. 1."

The girls portion was more of a scramble, especially after the withdrawal of three-time Class 6A champion Mackenzie Lee of North Little Rock.

Lee, the defending Overall champ, is gearing up for this weekend's event on the AJGA circuit, where she is ranked 19th nationally.

Kilcrease and runner-ups Anna Kate Nichols of Pulaski Academy and Madison Holmes of Paragould said Lee's withdrawal gave them a better chance to win, but it doesn't take away from their performances.

"That's the way I look at it, even if she was here, it would still be a grind," Kilcrease said. "It's OK."

Nichols and Holmes were flirting with Kilcrease's 6-over 78, but a double bogey by Nichols on the par-3 17th left her needing a birdie on the 18th to force a playoff.

She made a long putt to save par after putting her second shot in the water.

"I knew I needed to finish the last 3 holes around par, and I didn't do that," Nichols said.

Holmes reached the par 5 in three shots, but she three-putted for bogey to finish one shot behind Kilcrease.

"I knew we were pretty close to where we needed to be," Holmes said.