KARNS CITY — Six holes left, seven strokes down.

Chloe Fritch didn’t like her chances in the District 9 2A girls golf tournament recently at Bavarian Hills, the St. Marys High School course.

The Karns City junior had placed second in the tournament in both her freshman and sophomore years.

“After 12 holes, I didn't think there was any hope of winning,” Fritch admitted. “I was disappointed in myself. But then I sank a long putt for par on No. 13 and the leader triple-bogeyed the hole.

“That was a momentum swing. It changed my mind-set.”

Fritch was playing in the same group as tourney leader Rylee Thompson of Oswayo Valley.

“I finally found my swing and she started to struggle,” Fritch said.

Fritch’s father, Eric Fritch, is also Karns City’s golf coach.

“When she sank that long putt on 13, you could practically see the relief on her face,” Chloe’s father said. “There is a huge mental aspect in sports. We’ve been working with Chloe on that and it really showed that day.”

Going into the par--5 No. 18 hole, the pair were tied — only Fritch didn’t know it and didn’t want to know it.

“That would have gotten into my head and affected me,” she said.

Fritch wound up getting a par on No. 18 while Thompson double-bogeyed the hole. That gave Fritch a 90 for the 18-hole round and a two-stroke victory among the district’s 2A girls golfers.

Both girls are headed to the PIAA 2A Championships slated for Oct. 16-17 at Penn State University.

“We’ve gotten to be friends through playing so much golf together over the years,” Fritch said of Thompson. “I’m looking forward to seeing he rout there. We’ve played practice rounds together.

“I played well my first year at states ... I was just happy to be there. I was dealing with a foot injury from soccer and hadn’t played golf in a couple of weeks. I didn’t medal, but I didn’t play badly.

“Last year, I didn’t do well. I got too caught up in everybody wanting me to do well ... I just didn’t relax. This time, I’m just going to focus on my game and play the best way I can play. I always want to medal, but there are a lot of talented players in the field out there,” Fritch added.

Fritch stopped playing soccer after her freshman year to concentrate on golf. She also plays basketball and runs track for the Gremlins, qualifying for the PIAA Championships in the 300-meter hurdles last spring.

She hopes to play golf in college.

“Golf became my No. 1 sport because it’s something you can play no matter how old you are,” she said. “I’ve grown up playing golf with my parents and grandparents. I want to be in their position someday, still be out on the course.”

“We had a golf club in her hand when she was 4,” Coach Fritch said. “Her biggest strength is driving the ball and she’s confident with her putts, too. ”

Fritch said she’s enjoyed having her father as her high school coach since her freshman year.

“We butt heads a little bit because he is my dad,” she said, laughing. “I have to view him as my coach and treat him like I would any other coach. That’s how I look at it.

“It’s been fun. I’ve loved it, actually.”

So has her father ... but not always easily.

“I was working another group (at the District 9 tourney) and my wife was keeping me up with what was going on with Chloe down the stretch there,” Coach Fritch said. “It was a little nerve-wracking as a coach and as a dad, but these last three years have been well worth it.

“Seeing her come back and win the thing after coming so close before ... I’m happy for her.”