LOVELAND - Hope Torres sunk the biggest putt of her life.
It might have only been just a few feet out, but the thud of the ball into the hole was the catalyst for the onslaught of tears rivaled only by the downpour of rain just 30-minutes prior.
Torres not only won the individual 2024 Girls Golf 3A Colorado High School Activities Association State Championships, but was the leader of Prospect Ridge Academy, which took home its first Girls Golf State Championship ever.
“Lots of tears, lots of excitement, lots of love going on,” coach Anna Stavola said. “These girls are like sisters.”
And what better moment to share with family than that of winning the state championship.
While eventually she was set up with a tap-in putt to win it all, Torres found herself in an uncomfortable spot heading into the 14th hole.
After coming into the day needing to gain three strokes on the back-to-back champion Maddy Bante, Torres did that on the front nine. However, the back nine started rough for Torres, where she shot: bogey, par, double bogey and double bogey. Meaning Torres found herself in a four stroke hole with just five to go.
Torres needed to play near perfect golf to have a chance, and so she did, finishing with an eagle on hole fourteen to cut the lead down to a manageable two, which she would then overcome to take the lead heading onto hole 18.
“It was 115 yards, so I took my pitching wedge,” Torres said. “And that’s when the weather started to get bad so I was like ‘oh, no’, but it worked out, I had the cleanest shot I’ve had and it got me within probably a foot from the hole for an eagle.”
Right as Torres and Bante were walking to the final hole, the sirens blared signaling a 30-minute lightning delay.
And so the wait was on, Torres had found her rhythm leading by one stroke, but would have to wait for her chance to try and finish off her championship dreams.
“It was kind of nerve wracking,” Torres said. “But, it was a good time to just take a break, kind of get myself back into it and just focus and go back.”
With Bante finding the green and Torres missing short, the play-in was set.
But during the 30-minute delay, Torres was able to talk to Stavola, so they both knew that it was Torres’ time to go and finish strong.
“One thing that I’ve always noticed about her that has impressed me is that she is very excellent at channeling nervous energy into really positive strong energy,” Stavola said. “And so I was just reminding her what she already has within her and just remembering that and taking that into that playoff hole.”
And just a short while later, Torres was able to call herself a champion.
“It means a lot,” Torres said. “I'm still kind of shocked, I think I need to just soak it all in and just go from there, but I’m very happy. I’m happy for our team, my teammates did awesome and I think we ended this year very well.”