On a difficult day for everyone at Thursday’s tournament at Park City Golf Club, Park City senior Emily Hawksworth was one of the few to have something go her way.
Her first two shots on the 11th hole, a par 3, didn’t go exactly as planned, and she ended up on the fringe of the green. Though she could have chipped onto the green to set up an easier putt for a bogey, Hawksworth opted to use her putter. The senior sank a long putt to save par, and it gave her a jolt of confidence when she needed it the most.
“I was really happy about that – I debated chipping or putting and I putted it in and I was really happy,” she said. “It was a good feeling, I needed it.”
Hawksworth is the lone senior on Park City’s girls golf team, and, like that putt, she’s always there when her team needs her the most.
“It’s fun, I get to be a little bit of a leader and a good example for everybody, so it’s fun,” Hawksworth said.
Park City ended up finishing third with a 378 at Thursday’s tournament. Hawksworth had the best score for the Miners with a 90, while sophomore Abby Francis was right behind her with a 91. Sierra Scanlan carded a 96, and Erin Bratcher came in with a 101 to round out Park City’s scorers.
Hawksworth’s experience was put to the test on her home course. Cooler temperatures and blustery winds made a difficult course even harder for everyone. Hawksworth had her ups – like the putt on the 11th hole – and her downs.
She started off the day on the right foot with three straight pars, but things unraveled a bit on the front nine after that. The senior went six strokes over par, including a triple bogey on the sixth hole, over the next three holes. She then settled down on the next three to round out the front nine.
“I knew that I needed to recover after that one hole, and so I finished the front with a 43,” she said. “I was happy with it because I was able to put that hole behind me.”
The back nine was more of the same for Hawksworth, as she started with two pars before she hit one into the water on 12 and struggled with 13. She maintained her composure over the next four holes and was on pace to break 90 on a difficult day before the 18th hole. While Hawksworth struggled to end the day on a high note after a couple of wayward shots on the 18th hole, the senior was happy with her performance on Thursday.
“I thought it went pretty well,” she said. “It was definitely a hard course and got into a little bit of trouble, but it went as good as it could have been.”
As the sole senior, Hawksworth’s role off the course is just as valuable to Miners as her play on the course. She is one of three players on Park City’s team who played at last year’s state tournament alongside Francis and Bratcher. Her experience and presence keeps her teammates going, even on a difficult day on the course like Thursday.
“You can always go to her if you’re having a rough round or even a rough day,” Francis said. “She’s so kind and always in a positive attitude. She’s never down or anything. If she misses a shot or anything, she’s just like, ‘OK, let’s go to the next (one).’ She’s literally the best person ever, I love her so much.”
Francis has gotten to know Hawksworth pretty well during her time on the team the last two years. Away from the course, last year’s team hung out with each other during the state tournament, and the two bonded more then.
“We just had so much fun at the hotels together and going to dinner,” Francis said. “I’ve played pretty much every round with her, so pretty much every round is just so much fun because she’s there.”
And while Francis isn’t one of Park City’s younger players who is playing varsity golf for the first time this season, she’s seen how Hawksworth has helped them along the way this season.
“If anybody else is having a bad round, she’s always positive and lifts people up, even if they’re having a bad round,” Francis said. “She always tries to help as best as she can with the new people coming on, and she’s always so welcoming.”
Park City girls golf coach George Murphy echoed Francis’ sentiments.
“Stability to others,” he said in a text message. “She is patient and understanding, never gets frustrated with her teammates.”
Murphy added that Hawksworth has been a significant part of Park City’s girls golf team the last two seasons.
“What’s important is that she has helped raise the bar,” he said in a text message. “She cares about the game of golf and others see her work ethic and follow her lead.
“She inspires me to be a better coach and to be more patient and understanding, to put everything in perspective.”
The end of Hawksworth’s high school golf career is right around the corner, however. The state tournament at River Oaks begins a week from Monday, and Hawksworth is hoping to end it on a high note, should the Miners qualify.
“I think we’re feeling good,” she said. “I think we’ve got some consistent scorers going into state. We’re going to need some practice at River Oaks, but other than that, I think we’re doing good.”
Regardless of how the Miners’ season ends, her impact on her younger teammates will still be felt after she’s gone.
“It’s good to have at least one person that’s always positive,” Francis said. “We’re going to miss her so much next year, especially me.”