Golf: Radnor's Walker claims PIAA championship

SPRINGETTSBURY — Radnor junior Brynn Walker is a big, strong girl who can blow her tee shots 30 or 40 yards past many of her high school competitors.

That, however, is not why Walker brought the PIAA Class AAA championship home from the Heritage Hills Golf Resort Tuesday.

Walker needed poise, focus, determination and the wealth of experience she gained playing a national junior schedule this summer to outlast Canon-McMillan senior Lauren Waller with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff.

“I really gained a ton of experience this summer,’ said Walker, who fired a 1-under 71 to finish tied with Waller after the regulation 36 holes at 2-over 146. “This was almost like match play at the end and I kept thinking back to my match at the U.S. Girls Junior against Samantha Wagner. I learned you just can’t think ahead. You have to keep your focus on the next shot.’

Walker did put her size advantage to good use after the PIAA made her and Waller wait more than an hour to begin the playoff on the 305-yard ninth hole. The North Carolina commit smashed her drive to just 20 yards short of the green in the left rough.

After Waller’s approach from about 100 yards left her 30 feet from the hole on the front of the green, Walker deftly chipped her shot a foot-and-a-half from the cup. Waller missed her birdie try — barely — and Walker dropped in her short birdie try and Radnor had its third individual state champion in the last 13 years.

“I guess I had a little adrenaline going from the long wait,’ Walker said of her tee shot. “That was a good place for it to end up. I didn’t check the distance at all and I didn’t wear a glove. It was a feel shot and I just wanted to feel it.’

It looked like Walker was home free in regulation when she drilled a 5-iron two-and-a-half feet away at the 187-yard, par-3 15th and made the putt for a birdie that gave her a two-shot edge on Waller with three holes to play.

“It was playing 172 (yards) and I saw the other girls were ending up right of the pin, so I knew the wind was a little against us and I just hit a draw,’ Walker said. “My length was an advantage on that hole.’

But Waller wasn’t going away. Walker three-putted for bogeys at 16 and 17 while Waller made pars. Waller’s two-putt for par at the 17th was particularly tough, but she lagged her first putt perfectly. So they went to the final hole at Heritage Hills, the 456-yard, par-5 18th, tied.

“I looked at her and I said, I think we’re tied, and she said, I think you’re right,” Walker said. “She was tough.’

Waller was about 190 yards from the hole, but she knew laying up was not an option with Walker 20 yards ahead of her. Waller got everything you could out of a 3-wood and reached the green. Walker’s 4-iron shot left her 22 feet for eagle.

After Waller lagged her 45-foot eagle try two feet from the hole, Walker had one last chance to end it in regulation, but her eagle putt just slid by on the low side. Walker had added a second-round 71 to her opening-round 75. Waller, who was the co-leader with a 73 after the opening round, matched that 73 in the second round. It added up to 146 for both of them.

“She hit a terrific shot in there,’ Walker said of Waller’s approach to the 18th.

But through it all Walker persevered. She stood at 6-over par through 14 holes of her first round Monday and went 4-under the rest of the way, making birdies at the last three holes to get back into contention. She birdied the second and third holes Tuesday and was in the lead or tied for the lead the rest of the way.

“You have to stay within yourself,’ Walker said in the warm afterglow of victory. “I knew there was a great field here and this course doesn’t really fit me that well. And then I had a terrible start. I probably won the tournament on those last three holes (Monday).’

Walker is Radnor’s second individual girls state champion under the guidance of coach Andy Achenbach, joining 2009 champion Jackie Calamaro. Achenbach has also coached Radnor to a boys team title in 2006 and a girls team title in 2012, of which Walker played a key role as a freshman. Radnor’s 2002 boys champion Adam Cohan came on the watch of Achenbach’s predecessor, John Schulte, although Achenbach was an assistant coach then.

All have come at Heritage Hills. And it never gets old.

“Brynn played three perfect shots on the playoff hole,’ Achenbach said. “It was an awesome season for her. She had the lowest scoring average in the Central League, boy or girl. She shot 5-under at Centrals, won the East Regional and won here.