FALL ALL-AREA: Columbia's Karlee Gainey named LCR's Girls Golfer of the Year

Karlee Gainey was ready to quit in the middle of the regional tournament during her sophomore season, at least according to Columbia coach Chet Carter.

Following an impressive 79 in the Jill Darr Invitational at Haile Plantation Golf & Country Club, Gainey followed up with an 89 on the same course at districts. Then at regionals, her score was getting worse, ballooning north of 90, and her frustration was mounting.

“She lost her confidence, and she just was falling apart,” recalled Carter, who is also Gainey’s grandfather. “She got to a hole, and she was having a meltdown. And I went over there trying to console her and she was ready to quit, and I kind of got on her as a grandpa and a coach. I told her she was playing for the team and she needed to continue and it didn’t matter what she shot. I didn’t care. Just play hole by hole, shot by shot, and get it through.”

Gainey would finish the round, finally entering the clubhouse with a 99. But she learned a lesson that day — control what you can control and don’t dwell on your score from one hole to the next.

“At that point from there forward, I think it kind of woke Karlee up to the fact that you can’t worry about your score,” Carter said. “From that point and into the next season, she never had really much of a problem after that. She just continued to get better and better and better.”

Fast forward two years later, and Gainey wrapped up her career with one of the best seasons in program history. Gainey had a career-best 37.7 nine-hole average this past season, a season in which she won the District 2-2A title before becoming the first CHS female to ever win a regional championship to qualify for state, where she tied for 22nd in Class 2A.

Gainey, who has been named the Lake City Reporter’s Girls Golfer of the Year, made history with two clutch holes at regionals. She birdied 17 and 18 to finish with a 2-under-69, winning the Region 1-2A tournament by a stroke.

“It was very rewarding,” Gainey said. “It’s just very rewarding to look back and see that the countless hours that I put into the game all paid off and that my name will be remembered. It’s just a big accomplishment.”

She held off defending state champion Alexandra Gazzoli from Matanzas, who shot a 70 thanks to two birdies over the final four holes. Reigning LCR Golfer of the Year Ryan Donaldson from Suwannee also made a late push before finishing two strokes back of Gainey.

“I wasn’t necessarily surprised, but it was kind of a shock because I knew I was up against some of the best golfers in the region,” Gainey said. “The fact that I competed and ended up winning the whole regional championship, it was a good reality check.”

Gainey steadily improved throughout the season. She was hovering around a 40 nine-hole average through the first seven matches of the year and had near identical scores to teammate Alison O’Brien before shooting a 1-under-35 against Middleburg at Eagle Landing in Orange Park.

Carter called that round a breakthrough for Gainey.

“She came out and shot 1-under par and it was almost like a light flipped on,” Carter said. “It was like, ‘hey, I can do this. I’m shooting under par now.’ That’s when she passed Alison and then she never looked back. She just kept shooting under par.”

It kicked off a string of under-par rounds, with Gainey also posting a career-best 32 and 33 before carding a 73 to place fourth at the Jill Darr Invitational. That gave her the momentum she needed heading into the postseason, where she helped Columbia win the district title by 100 strokes before leading the team to a fourth-place finish at regionals that was good enough to send the whole squad to state.

“I would define (my season) as probably a rollercoaster,” Gainey said. “I didn’t start out playing to the best of my ability. I started out kind of rough and then I really started playing to my potential toward the end of the season, which was very rewarding because I worked very hard throughout the season to get to that point.”

The state tournament didn’t go as well as Gainey hoped it would. She shot a 77 in Round 1 and then followed it up a day later with an 80, which put her tied for 22nd.

Gainey’s finish was a team-best to help the Tigers finish 11th. Although it wasn’t the ending Gainey imagined, it was still a vast improvement from her junior season when she finished 55th at state.

“I’m not too happy about how I played there, but I’m happy that I made it there and that’s all that matters,” Gainey said. “I worked that hard all year and finally got to the biggest tournament of the season and it was just an accomplishment to even get there.”

ALL-AREA TEAM

Karlee Gainey

Columbia, senior

The LCR’s Girls Golfer of the Year had a 37.7 nine-hole average in a season where she won the District 2-2A title with a 74 before shooting a 2-under-69 to win the Region 1-2A title to qualify for the state tournament, where she tied for 22nd in Class 2A with a two-round 157. Also tied for fourth at the Jill Darr Invitational with a 73.

Ryan Donaldson

Suwannee, sophomore

Had an area-best 36.8 nine-hole average and led the area with a fifth-place finish at the Class 2A state tournament where she posted a two-round 145, which was five strokes behind the champion. Placed third at the Region 1-2A tournament with an even-71 after finishing runner-up in District 2-2A with a 76 in a season where she also tied for fourth at the Jill Darr Invitational with a 73. 

Alison O’Brien

Columbia, junior

Had a 38.7 nine-hole average and finished third at the District 2-2A tournament with a 77 before shooting a 78 to tie for 15th in Region 1-2A to help the Tigers qualify for state, where she tied for 32nd at the Class 2A tournament with a two-round 159. Also placed eighth at the Jill Darr Invitational.

Claire Bond

Branford, freshman

Had a team-best 41.4 nine-hole average and was runner-up at the District 3-1A tournament with a 94 to lead the Buccaneers to the title. Went on to tie for 22nd with an 87 at the Region 1-1A tournament.

Megan Ruwe

Columbia, sophomore

Had a 44.6 nine-hole average and placed fifth at the District 2-2A tournament with an 84 before placing 32nd in Region 1-2A with an 89 to help the Tigers qualify for state, where she placed 80th with a two-day 186. Also placed 12th at the Jill Darr Invitational.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Chet Carter, Columbia

Led the Tigers to the District 2-2A title, which they won by 100 strokes, and then a fourth-place finish at the Region 1-2A tournament. The Tigers received an at-large bid to the state tournament, where they finished 11th in Class 2A to cap off a season where they posted an 18-3 match record and finished runner-up at the Jill Darr Invitational.

HONORABLE MENTION: Columbia: Rayna Hardin, Adeline Mock; Branford: Bella Hobday, Kayleigh Wardle, Wyllow Davis