Sports - High Schools

POSTED: Thursday, Jun. 25, 2009

Prep Golf: Rachor's repeat just as sweet

When Claire Rachor birdied the final hole of her high school golf career at the Class 2A state tournament she felt a rush of relief, like a weight had been lifted.

Three strokes off the lead to start the day, Rachor knew a couple of things after carding a final round 72 at Apple Tree Golf Resort in Yakima on Thursday, May 28 - she'd played well enough win a second state title, and she had just played her last round of high school golf.

"I was counting down those final holes in a happy and a sad way, Rachor said. "It was nice to end with a birdie on my last hole just like last year at state. It was a nice note."

That last birdie might as well have been the last note of what's been a wonderful symphony for the Bellingham High School senior of the last four seasons.

This season Rachor capped her high school career with her second consecutive individual state title, helped the Red Raiders to their seventh team title in eight years, and won nearly every high school tournament she played in.

"Claire had one of the best all-team seasons in Northwest Conference history," Bellingham coach Brad McKay said in a phone interview. "She put herself in a position to compete and win in every tournament she was in. Any time you put a club in her hand, something special happens."

For the second consecutive season she has also been named The Bellingham Herald's All-Whatcom County Girls' Golfer of the Year. McKay is the girls' coach of the year.

"I never even imagined winning one state championship coming into high school," Rachor said. "Taking second at state my sophomore year gave me the extra push to win the whole thing. But I never imagined winning once, let alone twice."

Comparing something like state titles is never easy, but for Rachor the second felt different from the first one she won as a junior. Not only did her title this season help Bellingham win a team title, she said it almost felt expected of her. That feeling was new.

"Winning twice was a great accomplishment, but it felt more like a relief," Rachor said. "There was a lot more pressure to win the second one, than the first one. I think most of that was pressure put on me by myself. There was definitely a big difference between No. 1 and No. 2, though."

Any extra pressure Rachor felt at state didn't show. She was one of only two golfers to break 80 on the second day and rallied for the win. It was the second week in a row she'd pulled out a major victory. She also rallied from a three-stroke deficit to win at the Class 2A Northwest District Tournament.

"Just like Tiger (Woods) comes back, I liked having that pressure," Rachor said. "You don't necessarily know where you sit with the other girl and her score, but you know you have to make up strokes and you have to play your best. There's no wiggle room."

Rachor hopes to continue building on her golf success next season at Western Washington University. She turned down the chance to play at a couple of NCAA Division I programs for the opportunity to stay close to home, friends and family.

"I've had a lot of fun the last four years, but I'm ready to move on to college," Rachor said. "Both for the competition and for school to be a little more serious."

And she's already made up a new list of goals for herself at the college level. Among those is to someday play for an NCAA Division II National Championship.

"In golf in high school, I feel like I achieved more than I ever thought I could have," Rachor said. "That gave me the inspiration to want to do well in college. My next goal is to win nationals in the next four years, which I think I can do if I put my mind to it and practice a lot."

Reach Joe Sunnen at joe.sunnen@bellinghamherald.com or 756-2862.