This past October Kerri-Anne Cook made West Virginia high school golf history by becoming the first female golfer to win the Class AA individual state championship title.
Tuesday afternoon, the former Westside star added another historic chapter to her golfing career.
Making a birdie on the first playoff hole, Cook secured a spot in the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship being played July 15-20 at El Caballero Country Club in Tarzana, Calif.
“I felt like it was about the best my swing had been all year and my putting was really good too,” Cook said about her qualifying round.
The U.S. Girls’ Junior qualifiers are contested at 42 sites with only 156 players out of 1,576 entries advancing to the The Golden State next month.
“This was my fourth time trying to qualify,” Cook said. “Three out of the four times I tried to qualify, I shot in the 70’s and this was my first time making it. It is very difficult. A couple of years it took under par to make it.”
After struggling on the front-nine holes Tuesday at Shannopin Country Club in Pittsburgh, Pa., Cook caught fire on the back-nine making three birdies to shoot 2-over-par 74.
The score placed her in a four-way tie for first place with Nobelle Park and Kaprice Park from Canada, along with Alyssa Zhang from Pittsburgh.
With only two qualifying spots available, the four players went to a sudden-death playoff where Cook gained an early advantage.
“My distance helped me out the most. I was able to place a drive pretty far out and I was ahead of the girls in my group,” Cook said. “I had about 150-160 yards into a par-5.”
Kaprice Park and Zhang both made par, while Nobelle Park secured one of the qualifying spots by draining her birdie attempt.
Playing smart after her big drive, Cook locked up the final spot from close distance.
“I just put the ball up green-side and got up and down for birdie,” Cook said. “I had maybe about three-feet (for birdie). (Nobelle Park) rolled in a 15-20 footer for her birdie.”
While most people may never see the West Coast in their lifetime, Cook has been somewhat of a frequent visitor to California.
“I always thought I wouldn’t go out there and now I will going out for a third time. It’s kind of funny,” Cook said.
Her most recent trip came in early March when she visited The Titleist Performance Institute in Oceanside, Calif. for a club fitting.
“TPI is who I train with (locally) and they recommended it,” Cook said. “It was really neat to see and a really cool environment to be in. I have had a club fitting before, but this time I felt like they were able to analyze my swing better. The clubs were just a better fit.”
Following a brief adjustment period, Cook settled in nicely with her new clubs.
“It took me a little bit to get used to them because I switched to a stiffer flex shaft,” Cook said. “Since I have gotten used to them, I have been a lot more accurate.”
Accuracy has equated to even more success for the reigning double-A state champion.
Shortly after the club change, Cook helped the South team win its sixth straight Little General Cup at the North-South Junior Team Matches held at Glade Spring Resort.
Cook has played in the last four North-South Junior Team matches.
Earlier this month, Cook competed in the inaugural West Virginia Athletic Directors Association North-South All-Star Golf Tournament at Little Creek Golf Course in South Charleston.
The South Cardinals dominated the day with Cook shooting a one-under par 69, one of only two sub-par rounds in the event. She was also one of five players named to the All-tournament team.
“It is kind of crazy,” Cook said of the last few months. “Sometimes I just think I don’t really know what I just did.”
One day removed from such a grinding tournament like a USGA qualifier, one might think Cook would take a couple of days off.
That was not the case for the future Glenville State Pioneer.
Wednesday she was back at the Pines Country Club in Morgantown for a Callaway Junior Tour event where she walked away with the lowest round of the day in the girls 15-18 year old division.
“I definitely felt a little tired today. I slept good last night, but it was just a stressful day Tuesday,” Cook said. “The course was tough today and the greens were fast. As usual, the Pines was in great shape.”
The torrid summer pace continued Thursday when she played another Callaway event, this time at Canaan Valley Resort Golf Club in Davis, WV.
Different course, different day, same result.
Firing a even-par round of 72, Cook bested the next closest competitor by 10 strokes for her third tournament victory in as many days.
Canaan Valley will also be the site of the W.Va. Jr. Am scheduled to be played July 1-3. Cook will tee-it-up as the defending champion, having won two of the last four Jr. Am events.
Should Cook accumulate enough points from her WVGA and Callaway tournaments, she will also be in line to win her fourth straight Callaway Junior Tour Player of the Year honor.
