Dover High rising senior Carys Fennessy wins second straight NH Women's Am by 18 strokes

ROCHESTER – No worries. With a big lead, that’s how Carys Fennessy approached the third-and-final round of the Women’s State Amateur.

Disappointed with a first-round even-par 72 on Monday, the golfing prodigy fired back-to-back 3-under 69s in winning her second straight title, this time by a whopping 18 strokes at Rochester Country Club.

“Definitely it’s a lot easier,” Fennessy said. “It lets you be able to relax, something you wouldn’t be able to do if you’re coming from behind or you have a two-shot lead where everything in your game has to be perfect. I didn’t make too many bogeys coming in, but it definitely allows you to play your game without any worry.”

It was a luxury she could afford.

Fennessy gains 11 strokes in final round

Fennessy began Wednesday’s round with a 7-shot cushion that quickly ballooned to nine after just two holes. Even an hour-long weather delay midway through the round couldn’t curb the momentum.

“It just kept me going,” Fennessy said. “It’s a big motivator when you see the ball go in the hole. It definitely leads to making more putts and dropping you down into red numbers. It’s definitely a big thing.”

Fennessy finished the tournament at 6-under par to far out-distant runners-up Julianna Megan and Mady Savary, both of Youth on Course. Amy Dickison of Breakfast Hill Golf Club  in Greenland finished seventh and Delaney Nadeau of Dover’s Cochecho Country Club was eighth.

Other than Fennessy, they were the only other golfers with ties to the Seacoast to crack the top 10. Hampton’s Dana Harrity of Abenaqui Country Club, the holder of 16 State Am titles, tied for 12 ^th .

“I played the back nine pretty well once again,” Fennessy said. “It’s definitely the tougher of the two nines. Just keeping focus out there was a big thing for me, allowing me to be 2-under on the back.”

Three rounds featured eagle, 15 birdies

No one was a match this week for Fennessy who finished with six birdies and three bogeys on Wednesday. For the 54-hole tournament, the rising senior at Dover High School had 15 birdies and an eagle.

“Definitely hitting fairways and hitting greens and trusting my putter and just having confidence in my game,” she said. “Like I’ve said over and over it’s the biggest thing for me.”

Not much changed for Fennessy, despite the score.

“I would say that I play the game that I always do, maybe a little less aggressive than usual, just the smart plays,” she said. “You don’t have to take risks in that position. My typical game, just do my best to hit the ball on the green and make as many putts as I can.”

Bogey followed up with a birdie

Fennessy followed up two of the bogeys Wednesday with a birdie on the next hole and it took just two holes to get the other stroke back.

“If you look at my scorecard, usually bogeys are followed up by a birdie,” she said. “Definitely something that gets you angry. It makes you want it more. I try not to get myself too worked up about a bad shot. It’s just a bad swing and there will be plenty more good ones.”

She outdid herself this year after winning last year’s State Am by ‘only’ 15 shots.

“I didn’t know until the last hole,” Fennessy said. “It did surprise me but it goes to show how much time I put into it and how important hard work is.”

Dover rising senior 'determined'

“She’s just really determined,” said Matt Fennessy, Carys’s dad and caddie. “She wanted to play well. She works really hard. This is like your exam where you try to show everyone what you can achieve. She was really disappointed with Monday’s round. She went and played nine holes after Monday’s round and felt in a better mindset. I think it was settling herself and reassuring. The course played difficult the last two days and I think sometimes when the course gets more difficult it really gets her attention.”

Fennessy will play in two more tournaments this summer before school starts, one in Connecticut and the other in Massachusetts.

“This is definitely a good kick-off to the August run that I have with both tournaments,” she said. “I’ve been hitting the ball pretty good so definitely continue doing that and work on the short game a little bit and I should be good for the tournaments to come.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Dover High rising senior Carys Fennessy wins second straight NH Women's Am by 18 strokes