East Wake Academy’s Seastrunk cards ace in NCHSAA 1A/2A girls golf championship

East Wake Academy junior Caitlyn Seastrunk swung a six iron on the par-3 sixth hole at Longleaf Golf and Country Club in Southern Pines Monday and got through the ball, just like she’d been taught.

The textbook swing produced an ideal ball flight and a result she’ll never forget – a hole-in-one in the opening round of her first appearance in the NCHSAA 1A/2A girls golf state championships.

“I almost looked away to bend down and get my tee, but I saw the ball was still rolling and then when I saw it disappear, it was crazy,” Seastrunk said. “I turned around to all my family and coach (Bret) Bystricky to make sure it absolutely happened.”

It did happen, and all while Seastrunk’s four grandparents, her mother, a great uncle and coach were watching. The moment drew tears, coming during a rough patch in her round.

Seastrunk posted rounds of 97 and 104 for a two-day total of 201, good for 44th place out of 77 golfers, including ties. The course played 5,496 yards for the tournament.

The 138-yard sixth played as Seastunk’s 15th when she had the ace, since she started the round on the back nine. She was the third and final golfer in her grouping to tee off when the improbable happened.

“It was a magical moment,” Bystricky said. “She had a whole bunch of family right there with her on the tee box. She is an outstanding student in school, straight A’s, and she is a really great kid. It couldn’t have happened to a better kid.”

The par-3 intimidates the eye. A pond runs the length of the left side of the hole and trees make the right side a tight option.

Seastrunk sent a dart toward the right side of the green and the ball took one hop on, took the slope toward the pond and found the cup for the first ace of her young career.

“I’m probably biased now, but it was probably one of the best (shots), and it was one of the straightest too – it was going exactly where I wanted it to,” Seastrunk said. “My swing coach tells me you don’t need to hit the ball, you need to swing through it, and that’s exactly what it felt like.”

Being a downhill hole, the shot was visible the whole way for the crowd at the tee.

“She turned around with her hands on her mouth and 15 people’s hands went up in the air,” Bystricky said. “It was just the way you draw it up.”

Seastrunk played the hole to 1-under par for the championship. The hole-in-one was one of two eagles recorded for the entire tournament, the other coming more conventionally on a par five.

“It definitely shadows out most of the forgettable shots,” she said.

Ace No. 1 came fast for Seastrunk.

She first picked up a golf club as a freshman, when she competed with the East Wake Academy boys team because of low participation in girls golf at the school. She qualified for the girls regional last season.

“It’s eye opening to see if you do swing like that consistently, you’ll get results you want,” she said. “You have to try to swing like that consistently and get muscle memory and hopefully get more results like that and get more aces.”

This story was originally published October 28, 2015 at 2:06 PM with the headline "East Wake Academy’s Seastrunk cards ace in NCHSAA 1A/2A girls golf championship."