O’Brien is AAA medalist, Waccamaw wins team title

By golfclubsc on October 25, 2023 • ( Leave a comment )

The battle for medalist honors at the South Carolina High School AAA championship came down to the final hole in the final round.

Daniel coach Andy Swords wanted to make sure his golfer Peyton O’Brien knew what she had to do on the last hole.

“Coach came and told me I needed a birdie to tie for the lead,” said O’Brien.

The Lions senior had 107 yards left to the green with most of the distance being over water. It was a shot that resulted in a big number for a slew of golfers.

O’Brien pulled her 9-iron from the bag and launched her shot at the green. It landed two feet from the pin.

Peyton O’Brien birdied her final hole to force a playoff for the AAA championship.On the par 3 playoff hole she made her second straight birdie for the win. (Daniel Photo)

Her birdie putt tied Ella Kate Barnett from Aynor for the lead.

In the first round Barnett carded a 74 while O’Brien shot a 77. In the second round the scores were reversed sending the two into a playoff.

On the par-3 playoff hole, O’Brien had the pin dialed in and her tee shot ended up 6 feet from the hole for her second straight birdie and the state championship.

“I wasn’t nervous about the shot,” O’Brien said. “I was thinking about this being my last high school tournament,” she said.

The championship was the third she helped win for the school. O’Brien was on the team with her two older sisters when they won the 2018 and 2019 AAAA state championships.

“This was different. Winning with the team was great, but winning my last high school event and being a state champion is really great,” she said.

The Daniel Lions finished as the AAA runner-up at the State Championship. Coach Andy Swords team included Medalist Peyton O’Brien, Samantha Dean, Ever Deaton, Sofia Hepler, Campbell Epting and Spenser Wright.

O’Brien’s final round score helped Daniel move up a spot to finish second behind the first round leaders from Waccamaw High School on Pawleys Island.

Seneca was the top qualifier from the upstate and the Bobcats finished in third place.

Next year will be the first year in seven or eight years the Lions will play without an O’Brien on the team. Peyton’s two older sisters helped the team win two championships .

“We need to find another O’Brien, ” Swords chuckled. “I think we have one of the sisters on all the teams I’ve coached here. They have all been great and we will miss them, but we are all so happy for Peyton to be the champion,” said Swords.

The last of the O’Brien sister is not done with golf. She will play college golf at Anderson next year.