High School Golf Tourney Winner Denied Trophy – Even Though She Finished First

For one high school golfer winning didn’t come with a trophy.

Emily Nash is a high school golfer in Massachusetts who competed this past week in the Central Mass Division 3 Boys’ Golf Tournament. Not only did she compete, she dominated the field, posting a three-over score that was four shots better than anyone else in the competition.  But despite having the best score on the course, Nash was denied the first place finish and the trophy.

According to a rule for Massachusetts high school golf, girls are able to compete in boys tournaments but they are not allowed to win. Under the law, girls can compete on their high school team as a teammate but they cannot be entered into the competition as an individual. Because of the rule, a boy who finished at seven-over par was awarded the victory and the tournament trophy.

https://twitter.com/Britt_alto12/status/923529350812647425

If you’re out there thinking that this is unfair to the Nash, you aren’t the only one. Many took to Twitter to voice their frustration, such as pro golfer Brittany Altomare who competed in the same tournament when she was in high school. And as T.J. Auclair, a writer for the PGA said, the rule is “so bad it makes a shank look good.”

To make matters worse, Nash will not be able to go to the State Championships because she is not allowed to compete as an individual. And for those wondering if she can compete for states in the female golf tournament, she can’t do that either because her school doesn’t support a girl’s golf team. So since she can’t compete in the girl’s ranks, which isn’t her fault, she has no way to qualify for the State Championships.

If there is one thing that is clear from this story, it is that Emily Nash is one heck of a golfer. We can only hope that Massachusetts and any other state with a similar rule will find a way to alter it in order for players like Nash to participate in the tournaments that they deserve.

Cover Image via Twitter