Routine day on golf course follows Hearp's ‘crazy' night 

After her astonishing 9-under-par 62 in Wednesday’s first round of the Bob McLelland Metro Invitational at Ole Monterey, Kristin Hearp spent most of the evening watching her smartphone do everything but explode into pieces.

“I looked at Twitter and everything and my phone was blowing up!” Hearp said. “I had to recharge my phone like four times. It was crazy!”

Well, it was back to reality Thursday at Blue Hills.

Despite three-putting two of the first three holes for bogeys, the 15-year-old Hidden Valley sophomore held steady for a 1-over 73 to score a workmanlike five-shot victory over Lord Botetourt’s Lyndsey Hunnell for the individual title.

When posting her score, Hearp received the best news of the day — her team had captured its first Metro title in history.

“It’s great we won it, I’m really happy for us. It’s as big as winning the individual title, if not more for me,” said Hearp, whose squad’s final-round four-player total of 22-over 306 allowed the Titans to rally and win the team championship by seven shots over Cave Spring and Franklin County.

“Honestly, I think it’s more. High school golf is about the team and I feel like that’s why we’re here .... and it’s great because we never had won it before. It showed we have others who can play this game. It makes it really fun just knowing that. Last year, we were a good team, but this year we have so much more.”

Senior Jack Henry cut his first-round score by eight shots to 76, freshman Sam Comer posted 78, and another first-year player, Brad Williams, shot 82 to carry fifth-year coach Brian Harris’ squad to victory. The Titans had entered the day seven shots behind Cave Spring.

“It’s very exciting,” Harris said. “These guys all have worked really hard for this. We practiced two days last week in the pouring rain. We’re going to keep working. Cave Spring is a very good team, so we want to match up with them competitively all season.”

In the end, though, it was Hearp’s unmatchable 62 that proved the trump card to the Titans’ victory.

“A 62 — most coaches will never get one of those,” Harris said. “It’s a milestone for her. Very proud of her. It doesn’t come without work. She wasn’t born with that talent, she worked very hard at it. We’re all excited for her and she topped it off [Thursday].”

Hearp’s 36-hole total of 7-under 135 cleared Hunnell by five shots. Hunnell, who has verbally committed to play for Virginia in 2014-15, closed with the day’s best round of 72.

Franklin County’s Landon Prillaman (74) took third at 147 to prevent a 1-2-3 sweep by the girls. Cave Spring’s Meagan Board (76) took fourth at 148.

Franklin County, which started the day three shots behind Cave Spring in second, had to use a 90 from No. 2 player Jeremy Lester. Cave Spring also was victimized by having to count a huge number — a 91 from second-day substitute Hunter White.

“We had our shot,’’ said Prillaman, who will play his college golf at Ferrum next year. “I came in thinking I was going to play better, but I’m not disappointed. I just couldn’t putt.”

Hunnell, playing for the second straight day with her good friend Hearp, never could apply enough pressure to make a serious dent in the leader’s six-shot first round cushion.

“Kristin had such a big advantage,” Hunnell said. “On the front, she made two bogeys in a row [at Nos. 2 and 3], but I followed it up with a bogey, so I knew I had to shoot in the 60s again to have a chance of winning.

“I mean I knew [Hearp] wasn’t going to just explode. I was going to play my game and be comfortable, and if something happened with her I would just keep steady. But it didn’t happen. She doesn’t normally make any real big numbers, at least when I’ve watched her.”

After making nine birdies in the first round, Hearp had a hard time remembering how many she had Thursday. She had four.

“After I three-putted No. 2, I knew it wasn’t going to be the same kind of day,” Hearp said. “The first day my putting was not normal. I mean I’ve never made that many putts in a round before. So I knew I had to work for it. I never really thought about winning because I’ve tried that before and I’ve lost because of it.

“But in the end everything turned out good. The 62 just makes everything stand out. I’m still processing the 62, to be honest. I’m still in shock.”

No big deal. A sweep of the titles — individual and team — in the Roanoke Valley’s biggest high school major soothed the mindset.

“Who knows? Maybe everything will calm down a bit now,” Hearp said.

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