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By Sara Buechler
WARRENTON — Birdies, bogeys and a playoff – oh my. After a tight round, Charlottesville’s Addie Doroh won the 52nd Virginia State Golf Association Junior Girls’ Championship Tuesday at Fauquier Springs Country Club.
Doroh, of Birdwood Golf at Boar’s Head Resort, finished with a one-over-par 71, and a two-day aggregate score of 145. She tied with VSGA Junior Golf Circuit member Kanchana Duangsam who also completed the round at 1-over-par (69-76—145). The two were then off in a playoff on the par-3 18th. Both girls hit a great first ball that landed a few feet from the hole, but after Duangsam missed her putt, the pressure was on. Doroh secured the title by making her birdie putt.
“Going into the playoff, I was nervous, but I have been in a few playoffs before and you just got to do your best and play well,” Doroh said.
This is Doroh’s third VSGA Junior Girls’ championship and she made a massive improvement by being 15 strokes better than in last year’s championship. Doroh is also the first 14-year-old to win since Victoria Tip-Aucha in 2016. Doroh said the key to her win was her many birdie putts and her irons. Her round started off rocky with making bogey on the first hole but she quickly recovered with a birdie on the second hole.
“I actually hit in the hazards on the first hole, and I hit my third shot in the bunker, but I was still able to secure bogey and had a chance again on the second hole,” Doroh said.
Doroh made a total of five birdies in her round Tuesday: two on the front nine, two on the back, and her winning birdie in the playoff.
Doroh is also an active participant in the Peggy Kirk Bell Girls Golf Tour. She recently played in Middle Atlantic Series at Shenandoah Valley Golf Club and placed second.
The Junior Girls’ Championship also had age division winners. Duangsam, of Haymarket, won the 13 and under flight and came in second overall. Virginia Beach’s Amber Mackiewicz, who posted a 73-75—148, won the 16-18 flight; and with Doroh winning the overall championship, Kathryn Ha of Roanoke won the 14-15 flight. Ha placed third overall in the event after posting 70-76—146 over two rounds.
Buechler is a P.J. Boatwright intern with the VSGA.