Karlie Zamora Named Female Golfer of the Year

Before the year ends, we are thrilled to share well-deserved recognition for The First Tee of Howard County participant Karlie Zamora, who was named Capital Gazette Sports female Golfer of the Year. We are incredibly proud of her hard work this year, her camaraderie with the other golfers in Anne Arundel County, and that she stuck with it through all 18 holes of the Division V match even though she knew she wouldn’t make it to the State Championship this year. She remained incredibly supportive of the other golfers throughout the final holes that day.
Congratulations, Karlie! Read the full article in the Capital Gazette here, and details about Karlie below.
Karlie Zamora (photo courtesy of Brian Krista, Capital Gazette)
Karlie Zamora (photo courtesy of Brian Krista, Capital Gazette)
  From The Capital Gazette, December 14, 2018: Improvement was the key word this year for Addison Wells and Karlie Zamora. Both had strong seasons last year, but this year their work in the offseason paid off as they won county championships and are the Capital Gazette Communications Golfers of the Year. Just a sophomore, Zamora not only had the best nine-hole average among the county’s female golfers, she was among the overall leaders in the county. Her 43.9 average over nine holes was 12th best in the county. Her defining moment, though, came at the county championship. She finished tied through 18 holes with Broadneck’s Samantha Lynchard, so the county champion would be decided with a one-hole playoff. The pair tied on that hole, so a second playoff hole was required. Zamora won the second playoff hole by a stroke, thanks to a 20-foot putt. “She really was cool under pressure,” North County coach Don Usewick said. “I think that had to do with her years of playing in tournaments.” Usewick said Zamora had a goal to win the county championship, which she did, and qualify for the state tournament. Though she didn’t qualify for the state tournament, she was the top female golfer in the county and finished in the top four of the three girls only matches, including winning one. She also won an overall B Division match when she shot a 41 on Aug. 27 at Compass Pointe for her best round of the year. “She improved from last year to this year,” Usewick said. “It’s her passion, more or less.” Zamora’s performance at this year’s county championship was an 11-stroke improvement from last year when she shot a 98 and finished third. In the first girls only tournament last year, Zamora finished tied for second. This year, she finished first by three strokes on Sept. 18 at Renditions, was second at South River on Aug. 28 and fourth at Bay Hills on Sept. 7. Consistency was a key for Zamora this year. Of the B Division matches where she didn’t finish first, she was two strokes back in one, three strokes off the lead in another, four shots back twice and and five back in the other.