Glenwood High sophomore Antoinette Brasier takes a swing at Aspen Glen Club on Tuesday. The Demons finished in third place in the tournament ahead of hosting the Demon Invitational on Wednesday.
The lone senior on the Aspen High girls golf team put on a show on the day recognizing her as part of the home-tournament festivities.
Brooke O’Sullivan posted a high-school-career-best 76 on senior day at Aspen Glen on Tuesday, winning the Skier Invitational outright and guiding her team to a big first place finish.
“I think I played pretty solid golf,” O’Sullivan said. “I had a couple hiccups but it ended up OK. The weather turned out pretty good, which is super-exciting, and I’m really happy with how I played considering it’s my senior game.
“This program means a lot to me and so does this team so I’m really happy that I was able to perform on a day honoring that team.”
Head coach Shannon Day said that O’Sullivan had not posted a score below 80 in competition previously, but noted that she played calmly throughout the day and was dialed in with her irons and wedges.
Aspen senior Brooke O’Sullivan shot a career-best 76 at Aspen Glen Club on Tuesday, leading the team to a big win in the Skier Invitational. As the team’s lone senior, she was recognized in the team’s lone home competition.
O’Sullivan has been on the team all four years of high school, including her sophomore year when she missed the season due to injury, but was still a captain. She’s been there for the whole ride as the team grew into a state championship contender.
“Her game and what she’s taught the younger girls has shown her maturity and she’s a huge value and has led them for a long time,” Day said. “I’m happy for what she did today.”
O’Sullivan shot three birdies and had four bogies, one double bogey, according to iWanamaker data. She finished at plus-three on Aspen Glen’s par 73 course.
Junior Lenna Persson took third overall with an 81. Junior Madison Nelson also had a strong day shooting 100 as the extra scoring eligible player. Sophomore Linnea Flynn was not eligible to contribute to team scoring but placed fourth overall with a score of 85.
Aspen outdueled seven other teams, five of which are in the 4A classification, one step above the Skiers in 3A.
Aspen junior Lenna Persson chips onto the green. Persson finished third overall in the Skier Invitational.
Battle Mountain finished second and Glenwood Springs finished third, even after the team’s No. 1 player departed after nine holes. Sophomore Sierra Hageland shot 100 to finish eighth, sophomore Antoinette Brasier shot 102 and junior Tiare Slaver shot 109.
The Demons will host their home tournament on Wednesday at River Valley Ranch in Carbondale.
Aspen’s home tournament is typically held at Aspen Golf Club, but Day opted to move it downvalley this season out of concern for the weather. It was a good call with weather rolling in during the afternoon.
The change of venue was a bit odd for O’Sullivan’s senior game, but she said it felt like “another embrace” of the valleywide golf community.
It’s the third-straight team win for Aspen, following the Gypsum Creek Tournament on April 3 and the Tiger Invitational on April 1. The Skiers did not compete as a team in the preceding Devil’s Thumb Invitational, but Persson won that contest individually by eight strokes — her first of two straight individual wins.
With the regional — and hopefully state tournament — on the horizon, the Skiers are boosting confidence with good results, strong play and camaraderie.
“We’re, as a team, really trying to use collaboration. It’s a unique sport because it is individual but it’s just as much of a team sport behind the scenes,” O’Sullivan said. “We’re excited for states and that’s obviously an end goal but right now we’re just focusing on having fun. I think that showed today in how well I played and how well our team did.”