Eden Shipp came into Platte County’s lineup with built-in expectations — lofty ones.
Platte County senior Eden Shipp watches a tee shot during the Suburban Conference Blue Division Championships on Monday at Shiloh Springs Golf Course.
The younger sister of twins Jessalyn and Kasydie Shipp, both four-year standouts, might leave as the most decorated of the trio. Eden Shipp took part in her fourth and final Suburban Conference Blue Division Championships on Monday at Shiloh Springs Golf Course and secured a second straight individual title. She shot a 10-over 81 on her home course to top junior teammate Bailey Silcott by two shots.
Shipp, Silcott, freshman Ella Green and sophomore Lily Ricketts all secured first team all-conference honors as top-10 finishers, while Platte County junior Brylie Kovar claimed an honorable mention spot, finishing 11th. The Pirates shot a season-best 340, believed to be the lowest round in team history, and finished 37 shots clear of runnerup Kearney to win a sixth straight team championship, as well.
“Since it is my last year, it is really special to win,” Shipp said. “Bailey is really improving a lot, and last year I also had another senior, Tori Sanders, getting right up there. Bailey is too and it helps me get better. We all had good rounds. I think four girls were under 90. I don’t know if Platte County has ever had that. To win it with a really good score, it means a lot.”
Kasydie Shipp won the Suburban Blue title for Platte County as a junior in 2017, and Eden Shipp matched that effort after splitting the individual championship as a junior with Sanders, one of three graduated seniors from a year ago.
Eden Shipp claimed the crown outright this season with another round in the low 80s. She shot 5-over on the front and then 5-over on the back nine, recording pars on 1, 3, 7 and 9 on the front and then 13, 14, 15 and 18.
In addition to the top medal and the team plaque, Shipp received the ‘golden ball,’ a traveling memento that started when assistant coach Kevin Janssen found a gold golf ball on a driving range. Platte County golfers who win a tournament receive the “trophy.” finished first in a tournament.
Platte County junior Bailey Silcott lines up a putt during the Suburban Conference Blue Division Championships on Monday at Shiloh Springs Golf Course.
Silcott become a two-time all-conference performer in addition to honorable mention honors she garnered as a freshman. She had two pars on the front and then four on the back, including three in a four-hole span on 10, 12 and 13.
An important addition to the lineup, Green shot 87 to place fourth, while Ricketts took sixth with an 89.
Ricketts, Silcott and Eden Shipp were all on Platte County’s Class 3 Missouri State Golf Championships team qualifier a year ago. However, Ricketts and Green were first time all-conference players with Ricketts rejoining the lineup for the postseason after not playing in the top five for the Blue Division tournament.
Kovar didn’t factor in Monday’s team score but posted a 101 to just miss the top 10.
“It was by far our best round with four in the 80s,” Platte County coach Trevor Short said. “It means a lot. We got it going with the Shipp sisters and our other seniors on that (2015) team and were able to win it and now it’s kind of a tradition. They started the winning tradition and built up a good program, and this is the end result. We like to keep it going as long as we can.”
Platte County freshman Ella Green hits a putt during the Suburban Conference Blue Division Championships on Monday at Shiloh Springs Golf Course.
Moments after taking all the necessary photos needed after winning yet another conference championship, Platte County’s players headed to a van and drove down to Belton to play at Eagle Landing Golf Course, the site of next week’s Class 3 District 4 tournament.
The top four players from the the top two teams qualify for state in yet another altered format for the postseason. Then the next 12 individuals, including ties, take the remaining bids. Any team outside of the top two with at least four individual qualifiers can also compete as a team the following week at state.
In 2020, Platte County qualified all five individuals for state when there were no automatic team bids. The Pirates placed fifth in Class 3, missing a state trophy by one shot in their first team bid since going in Class 1 back in 2003.
This year’s team hopes to go back and make another run at hardware.
“We are peaking, and we need to keep that going on Monday and keep that momentum going,” Short said.
Platte County 193, Kearney 200, Smithville 214
The Pirates continued mastery of their top rivals and retained the Highway 92 traveling trophy, winning the triangular Wednesday on the front nine of The Posse Course at Paradise Pointe Golf Complex in Smithville.
Playing without Silcott, Platte County showed depth again with Shipp taking medalist honors with a 44. Green provided the Pirates’ No. 2 score with a 48, and Ricketts (49) and sophomore Brylie Kovar (52) rounded out the 193 team total.
While the final totals were closer than Short would have liked, the result still provided a positive from the regular season finale.
“We hoped that we would have had a better round, but the strokes were not there today,” he said. “The front side of The Posse has always given our players a little bit of trouble, and the course got the best of us today.
“This was a good note to end our regular season on and put us in the right state of mind to prepare for the district tournament.”
