Girls Golf MVP: Marissa Malosh, South Fayette
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Marissa Malosh hits out of a bunker during the WPIAL Class 3A girls golf championships at Valley Brook Country Club. The South Fayette senior won her second straight district title with a round of 77.
Marissa Malosh
Marissa Malosh of South Fayette hits a drive during WPIAL Class 3A girls championship golf action Tuesday at Valley Brook Country Club. Malosh won her second consecutive championship.
Ellie Benson freshman Peters Township Ally Brennan senior South Fayette Anna Kushnir junior Mt. Lebanon Sophia Severns senior Peters Township Brooke Vowcheck sophomore Peters Township
Ellie Benson freshman Peters Township Ally Brennan senior South Fayette Anna Kushnir junior Mt. Lebanon Sophia Severns senior Peters Township Brooke Vowcheck sophomore Peters Township
Marissa Malosh relied on her C game to win her second straight WPIAL Class 3A girls golf championship.
When her irons let her down and after she scored a triple-bogey on the fourth hole, the South Fayette senior remained calm, cool and collected and fought through her final 18 holes on Oct. 4 at Valley Brook Country Club.
“Everyone is going to have a bad hole at one point and you try to minimize that by keep going and trying to get back on par,” she said. “I did exactly what I wanted to do. Stay composed. Stay calm. I didn’t want to make anything worse. I didn’t want things to snowball.”
Malosh smoothed out each bogey – there were five others – with three birdies and nine pars, She scored a 39 on the front nine and 38 on the back nine.
Her 5-over 77 coupled with her first-round score of 3-over 75 at the Youghiogheny Country Club gave her a 152 total under the WPIAL’s new 36-hole format. That gave Malosh a six-stroke win over runner-up Lihinin Ranaweera from Seneca Valley, who finished 81-77-158. Peters Township freshman Ellie Benson took third with a 81-80-161.
In 2021, Malosh won her first WPIAL title with par 72 at Hannastown Golf Club.
“Two completely different years,” Malosh said of her championship runs. “I was just happy that I was able to come through in the end. It’s such a relief to win.”
At the PIAA tournament played at Penn State, Malosh tied for fourth place. She carded a 149 during the two-day tournament, 76 for the first round and 73 for the second.
Malosh will continue her career at the University of Delaware.
Ellie Benson, freshman, Peters Township
Ally Brennan, senior, South Fayette
Anna Kushnir, junior, Mt. Lebanon
Sophia Severns, senior, Peters Township
Brooke Vowcheck, sophomore, Peters Township