STATE GOLF
The smile on Taylor Munson’s face as she watched her last putt drop on Day 2 of the Class A Girls’ State Golf Meet last Wednesday easily summed up her feelings from the final 18 holes this year.
After carding a 104 on the first day of the meet, beating her 107 from last year, she followed that up with a more impressive day on the course. Munson finished the day with a 90, five strokes better than 2025. Her two-day total of 194 put her in 46th place, a huge jump from her 58th place finish last year.
While golf is largely technical, it is also a mentally tough game, and that part of Munson’s game shined on Wednesday last week.
“My biggest improvement was my focus,” Munson said. “It was a lot better (Wednesday). I was doing good and I know what I needed to get back into it after a bad hole. It helped me stay positive.”
That positivity was needed through the ups and down of the game. After shooting a 43 on the front nine, the more difficult back nine tried to trip up the soon-to-be senior.
Her tee shot went out of bounds on 9 and resulted in a triple bogey. She followed that up with a par on hole 10.
On 14, she hit her drive into the water and then hit her drop in the water resulting in a 10 on the hole. The mental toughness showed through as she came back and pared hole 11.
Coach and father Mike Munson saw that toughness on Day 2 as well.
“She was mentally tougher today,” he said. “Her driver didn’t do anything for her today. But everything else was good. Her putting was really good, and she had a lot of good chips and lot of good fairway shots.”
Battling through a few shots that didn’t go her way helped Taylor reach more of her goals for state this year.
“I knew I wanted to stay hopefully in the 80s, and I knew what I needed to do and that my goal was still in reach, which helped me focus more,” she said. “Knowing that there is nothing to lose, just do my best. I was already beating my score from last year. Just thinking positively helped me get through my next few holes.”
Taylor’s Day 2 goals included shooting in the 80s (she ended at 90), shoot better than last year (she took five strokes off her score) and get six pars (she parred seven holes on the day). Taking all those accomplishments in helped Taylor reflect positively on the day.
“It was pretty good, not going to lie,” she laughed as she finally got to sit down after her final round. “It was fun. It was hot. It was stressful, but I met my goals. I met my overall goal. I’m happy. I can’t complain.”
Since she has another season ahead of year, Taylor is already looking forward and taking things away from this season that she can work on for next year.
“It’s just so up and down, my golf game,” Taylor said. “I’m taking away from this season, to be more positive. That’s something I can control. And take my time more on my putts. I’m taking that into next season. For my goals: keep my driver more straight and lift more so I can hit the ball further. Get stronger, so next year I can hit irons on par 4s instead of woods.
She also is eyeing a third trip to state and has set more goals for when she gets there.
“I had less nerves the second day,” she said. “I need to go into it with less nerves so I’m not trying to fight my way back, but fight my way up instead.”
