Photo by Kim North Pictured are the champion and local players finishing in the top 10 of the 103rd annual W.Va. Women’s Amateur Golf Championships which concluded a three-day stay Tuesday at Oglebay Park’s Arnold Palmer-designed course. From left are Wheeling’s Ellie West (8th overall); Wheeling’s Maddie Potts (10th); champion Savannah Hawkins of Hurricane; Moundsville’s Kailey Pettit (tied for 3rd and Low Net); Rayland’s Emily Holzopfel (tied for 3rd); and Wheeling Park alum Alyssa Kangisser (6th).

WHEELING – Savannah Hawkins and Emily Holzopfel were tied atop the leaderboard after two rounds of the 103rd annual W.Va. Women’s Amateur Golf Championship at the Arnold Palmer-designed course inside Oglebay Park.

However, Hawkins, who will turn 20 next month, continued her red-hot play Tuesday with a 2-under-par 69 on the final 18 holes to pull away from the field en route to a 5-stroke win over Aubrey Kerr, of Bridgeport, W.Va. Hawkins, a junior-to-be at Marshall and a graduate of Hurricane High, finished with a three-day total of 215 (73-73-69). Kerr carded a 220 (73-75-72).

“It’s a little surreal because I’ve been runner up several times in this tournament. I’ve been in playoffs in this tournament, but to be able to pull this one off feels really, really good,” Hawkins said.

“The key today was to just zone in and play my own game,” she noted. “I couldn’t worry about anyone else. I think that really helps when I kind of get lost in it. I was able to play safe and not try and do anything I’m not capable of.”

She said the course was in excellent shape.

“It was absolutely gorgeous,” she raved. “It was in the best shape of the three days. I just love playing these courses up here. I have so many good memories from playing the (West Virginia) high school state tournament up here.”

Holzopfel, a Buckeye Local and Wheeling University graduate, slipped into a tie for third for the second consecutive year. She had rounds of 73 on Sunday and Monday before shooting 75 on Tuesday to finish at 221, which tied with Moundsville’s Kailey Pettit and Parkersburg’s Cat Wong.

“I think I largely hit it well. I think I got a couple of bad breaks out there,” she said of her final round. “I didn’t have too many birdies going my way, so I just tried to battle and hang in there.

“When you’re not playing your best, you just try and battle through one hole at a time and one shot at a time.

“On to the next tournament,” she said when asked what the future holds. “I’ve got a tournament just about every weekend, so keep playing.”

Kerr was also the Low Junior while Pettit took the Low Net total.

Several local players, in addition to Holzopfel and Pettit, walked away with hardware by finishing in the top 10 overall.

They included two-time champion and Wheeling Park grad Alyssa Kangisser (6th overall);

14-year-old Wheeling Park-freshman-to-be Ellie West (8th); and Wheeling Central alum and current Glenville State golfer Maddie Potts (10th).