Konshaug claims second straight D2 girls’ state golf championship
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ELK MOUND’S Belle Kongshaug is shown hitting a shot during the WIAA Girls’ State Golf Championships that were held October 14 and 15 at the University Ridge Golf Course in Madison. Kongshaug claimed her second straight Division 2 state championship with a two-day total of 153. —photo by Rob Hernandez, Wisconsin Golf
MADISON — She is a state gold medalist once again!
Belle Kongshaug, a junior at Elk Mound High School and the Colfax-Elk Mound girls’ golf cooperative’s undisputed leader, claimed her second consecutive WIAA Division 2 individual state title at the 2024 girls’ state golf championships held Monday and Tuesday, October 14 and 15 at the University Ridge Golf Course in Madison.
Kongshaug shot a two-day, 36-hole total of 153 to finish nine-over-par and repeat as the WIAA Division 2 individual state girls’ golf champion. She finished seven strokes ahead of runner-up Addison Kofal, a junior from St. Croix Central. Kongshaug had entered the second and final day of state action trailing Kofal by one stroke.
This year’s final tally was four strokes better than her gold-medal winning performance a year ago. Kongshaug’s best score on the University Ridge course came in 2022, her freshmen season, when she tallied a 151 to finish as the state runner-up.
This year’s state-winning performance by Kongshaug included 21 pars, ten bogeys, four birdies and a triple bogey.
The first day of competition began well for Kongshaug as she parred the first and third holes and had a birdie on two for a -1. But, back-to-back bogeys on holes four and five put her one over par. She then had consecutive pars on six and seven only to bogey the par-three eighth and par-five ninth holes to finish with a three-over-par 39 on the first nine holes.
Kongshaug would step up her game in the back nine as she registered five pars, a birdie and two bogeys to finish with a 37 for a first-day total of 76 which placed her just a stroke behind Kofal.
On Tuesday, the second and final day of the state competition, golfers were greeted by cold temperatures and wind gusts up to 30 mph.
Like a true champion, Kongshaug not only prevailed against her competition, but Mother Nature as she shot a second-day tally of 77 to repeat as the state champion. Only Tara Eckes of Hayward, who shot a 75, had a better day-two score.
Kongshaug took over the lead with four straight pars to start her second day of play. She bogeyed holes five and seven but had pars on six, eight and nine for a nine-hole score of 38, just two-over par.
A triple bogey on the par-four tenth hole and bogeys on the 12th and 15th holes did not shake Kongshaug’s confidence. She collected herself and finished strong, shooting a pair of birdies (16 and 18) and a par for a 39 on the back nine for a second-day tally of 77.
Her two-day tally of 153 gave Kongshaug, the only Division 2 golfer to break 80 both days, a second state gold.
Addison Kofal finished with an 85 on the second day for an overall total of 160 and the state silver medal. Eckes of Hayward shot a 162 to place third.
Belle Kongshaug will look to earn a fourth state medal and her third consecutive gold next season. But, she hopes to bring along some company next year. Colfax-Elk Mound returns all of its golfers and will add Belle’s younger sister, Clara, an accomplished youth golfer in her own right, to the mix.