Evers, Knapke lead FRHS to first

UNION CITY, Ohio — The highest Mallory Evers ever finished on the Indians roster was second, when she posted a career-best 45 against Winchester and Jay County last season.

In the second contest of 2025, she matched her top score and posted the low of any golfer for the day for the first time.

Evers shot a career-best 45 to earn her first match medalist honors and help the Fort Recovery High School girls golf team place first at the Union City Classic, a nine-hole tournament at Union City Country Club, on Tuesday afternoon.

The Tribe (1-0) posted the low score of 202, just one stroke worse than Monday’s season opener at Tri-Village, to beat the other five teams. The closest team to the Indians was Arcanum, which trailed by 29 strokes. TVHS (236) posted the only other score under 255.

“It’s good, it’s good,” FRHS coach Jeff Vaughn said about the hot start to the season. “Especially when you have some new girls that haven’t played much that are coming through, so I’m happy where we’re at right now.”

“I know last year we shot a 223 the first time out. This time we shot 201 and 202, so I’m happy. We’ve just got to get that mix and get everybody in the 40s.”

Fort Recovery had three of the top five golfers in the field of 35, including Evers who carded the best score at 45 and Olivia Knapke, whose round of 47 claimed second place.

“I don’t think I ever would have imagined myself in this position, but it feels great,” Evers said. “My drives went really far and my putts were sinking today.”

Evers stayed consistent throughout the entire round, making three pars, four bogeys and two double-bogeys.

She got off to a hot start with a bogey on hole No. 1, a 485-yard par-6. After the grueling first hole, — along with its length, golfers had to hit over two creeks to reach the green — the FRHS senior made par on the 120-yard, par-3 second. Her first shot landed in the rough on the right of the green 30 yards from the hole. She hit a low chip to set up a 5-foot putt for par.

Evers made another bogey on the 280-yard, par-4 third hole. Her drive sailed over 215 yards to get over the hill and the creek to set herself up well. She got under her second shot, leaving her 20 yards short of the green, but chipped on and two-putted for the score.

“I had some time to prepare since that first hole took forever,” said Evers referencing the wait time to finish the long first hole. “But I was ready to win today.”

Knapke had a rough start with three double-bogeys before rattling off three bogeys, a par and a birdie on hole No. 6 (240-yards, par-4) to earn her the second best score of the day.

Macy Kauffenberger of the Fort Recovery girls golf team chips onto the second hole at Union City Country Club on Tuesday afternoon. Kauffenberger shot a 65 in her varsity debut as the Tribe claimed first place at the Union City Classic with 202 strokes. (The Commercial Review/Andrew Balko)

 

The third-best score of the classic belonged to Tri-Village’s Lyla Brewer with a 50, while Adalyn Paul’s (Arcanum) 52 netted her fourth place.

Evvie Briner claimed the final spot in the top five with a 53. Her sole par came on the third hole — she drove the green and left her first putt a foot short before finishing it off — but the highlight of her round came on the sixth.

“It didn’t look too good to begin with,” Briner said. “My tee shot hit a tree and it bounced off and luckily it rolled down the hill. I had a good second shot that I hit directly behind the green. I was a little bit worried because the green was so sloped but luckily I chipped it in and that was really exciting.”

Georgia Wenning rounded out the team’s score with a 57. (She finished eighth overall.)

Cora Pearson carded a 60 and Macy Kauffenberger shot a 65, but neither score affected the final.

While the Indians put on the best performance at the tournament, the event provided a good learning opportunity as the tight course featured 2,445 yards, six times players needed to cross a creek and one water hazard and plenty of hills.

“This helps because you’ve got to play a lot of shots that you normally don’t hit,” Vaughn said. “It’s a fun course for them to play and hopefully in the long run it helps us.”