Ginger Beall and Malia Perry had both struggles and good moments during the Girls State Open golf tournament.
The 18-hole Virginia High School League competition was played Monday (Oct. 28) on the par-70 Heritage Oaks Golf Course in Harrisonburg. Beall, a sophomore for the Yorktown Patriots, shot 82 to finish in a four-way tie for 25th. Perry, a senior for the Washington-Liberty Generals, shot 90.
Both earned their first state berths a week earlier by carding rounds in the 70s at a northern-zone qualifying event at Twin Lakes Golf Course in Clifton. Perry shot 75, her lowest in high school, and Beall 78.
In Harrisonburg, the start of the State Open was delayed one hour because of frost. The eventual champion was Kathryn Ha from Salem High in Virginia Beach, who shot a 3-under 67.
Beall started well, parring the first three holes. She also had two three-hole stretches of pars on the back nine.
“Ginger wasn’t happy with her score, but playing in the tournament was a confidence-builder for her,” Yorktown coach Chris Williams said. “She’s a competitor and she’s good enough to play in a field like that.”
Perry had a rough start with a triple-bogey on the first hole and a bogey on the second, but birdied the par-3 third. Her best stretch was five straight pars to start the back nine.
The State Open ends Perry’s high-school career and a standout senior season. She was a top player on the Washington-Liberty team that won a Liberty District championship, finished second in the 6D North Region tournament, then fifth in the Class 6 state tournament.
Perry is thought to be the only player in Washington-Liberty history to earn a berth in the Girls State Open.
NOTE: Perry and Beall were the first players from an Arlington school to qualify for the Girls State Open since the 2020-21 pandemic season.
