4 years in the making

The state golf tournament had been nothing but cruel to Maddi Kamas.

As a freshman in 2018, Kamas was in striking distance of the leaders after the first round, but weather forced the cancellation of the second round and she never attempted her charge.

Kamas was the first-day leader as a sophomore, but an unkind putter saw her settle for state runner-up by a single stroke.

In what would have undoubtedly been her breakout year in 2020, her entire junior season was canceled due to COVID-19.

She took every bit of that frustration out on the Class 4A field in 2021.

Kamas became Kingfisher’s second girls golf state champion as she carded rounds of 69 and 67 last Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, at Cushing’s Buffalo Rock Golf & Venue.

Her combined score of 136 – 4-under-par overall – was 20 strokes better than runner-up Layne Ailshie of Fort Gibson.

“Maddi Kamas is the best golfer that I have ever coached,” said KHS girls golf coach Audra Smalley.

“She is just on another level.”

Kamas was exactly that on both days. She had one bogey in each round and spent the rest of her time finding fairways and greens.

“I felt like everything clicked into place,” Kamas said. “I was super confident in everything.”

Her 1-under 69 on Wednesday provided her a seven-stroke lead over Catoosa’s Emily Vang and an eight-stroke cushion over Ailshie.

That left Kamas confident entering the final 18 holes.

“I think after the first round I knew I had it,” she said. “I just told myself to play as steady as I did the first day.”

She was, in fact, better.

Kamas, who next year will be a part of the Oklahoma City University golf program, was 2-under for the day before she made her lone mistake and bogeyed the par-3 15th.

She rebounded to par the 16th hole, then found the green with her tee shot on a short, dog-legging par-4 17th.

After her eagle putt just missed, Kamas tapped in for birdie, then blew her drive past her two competitors’ on the final hole of the tournament.

“That was my favorite shot of the tournament,” she said.

Kamas then knocked her approach shot to within just a few feet of the hole and knocked down the birdie putt for a 3-under 67.

Not only did Kamas have the only sub-par round, Vang and Ailshie were the only other golfers to even shoot a round in the 70s.

Vang couldn’t keep up on the second day as she shot an 81 to finish at 157.

That was one stroke behind Ailshie, who finished with a 79.

Kamas was so dominant, she closed a 23-stroke gap in the team standings to get KHS to a playoff for the state championship (see related story).

“To finally see her have the dominating performance in the state tournament was nothing short of amazing,” Smalley said.

“I am so happy that she finally achieved the individual portion of her high school golf career.”

Kamas joined Bethany Darrough as the only female individual champs from KHS. Darrough won back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010.

Kamas no doubt felt the pain of the disappointment that the end of 2018, 2019 and 2020 brought her.

However, she said she also realizes the benefit.

“Part of me is glad that the previous years turned out the way they did,” she said.

“I think it made my senior year much more special.”