2024 Central Ohio High School Golf: Top Girls to Watch This Season
Who are the top high school female golfers to watch for the 2024 OHSAA season?
The 2024–25 high school sports year officially began on July 29 with golf, which will also be the first fall sport, ending in mid-October.
Whether the Dublin Jerome and Columbus Academy girls teams will once again become sole Division I and II state champions, respectively, remains to be seen. But both perennial contenders return most of their lineups from last year and will be tested repeatedly over the next few weeks as Central Ohio looks to continue dominating the statewide scene.
A new individual champion in Division I has also been determined after Mia Hammond of New Albany gave up her high school eligibility to pursue a professional career.
After Ohio State declined to continue hosting the state tournaments, the two girls competitions were moved to courses outside of central Ohio. Division II will be held Oct. 13 and 14 at Firestone Country Club in Akron, and Division I will be held Oct. 14 and 15 at NCR Country Club in Kettering.
Here are 12 Central Ohio female golfers to watch this fall:
Bella Anderson, Worthington Kilbourne
As a junior, Anderson is seeking her second Division I state tournament finish in three seasons. As a freshman, she placed 15th at the state championships and tied for 16th (78) at the district championships last fall. A successful summer included a win at the Southern Ohio PGA, a second-place finish at the Hudson Junior Invitational and a tied for fifth at the Coca-Cola Junior Championship.
Skylar Dean, Olentangy Orange
The senior and Ball State player finished second in Division I district tournaments (72) and state tournaments (143) last season. That was based on a regular season in which she won OCC Buckeye medals and averaged 72.2 per 18 holes. Dean, who also finished 15th in the state tournament as a sophomore, shot a personal and program-record 64 during the league tournament.
Elle Furrow, New Albany
The junior entered this season at the Eagles’ top spot following Hammond’s departure. She averaged 77.6 this season and finished fifth in district (74) and 26th in state (157), all of which were the best finishes among the team’s returnees. Furrow opened this season with a 73 at Gahanna’s Lady Lion Invitational on July 31 at Champions.
Andrea Golden, Bexley
The senior has steadily improved her average throughout her career, from 44.1 per nine holes as a freshman to 41 last season, when she earned her first berth in a Division I district tournament. Golden finished third in the section (81) and 39th (88) in the district.
Eva Lim, Columbus Academy
The sophomore emerged as the Vikings’ best player last fall as they again won the Division II state championship. Lim averaged 73.6, including a round of 65, to tie with 2024 graduate Avery Thompson of Lakewood for both first in the district (73) and second in the state (150).
Anna Machamer, Canal Winchester
The senior and Ashland freshman posted a 38.8 average per nine holes last season, missing two strokes from a spot in the Division I state tournament, finishing 10th in the district (76). Machamer and Hailey Boss (40.3 average), who has committed to Youngstown State, should compete again for district spots or more this fall.
Alexa Prettyman, Dublin Jerome
Prettyman, a senior and Kent State player, posted a 74.1 average and 15 top-five finishes in 2023. She had 15 rounds of 75 or less, ranking second at the state level. She was also the only Ohioan to shoot under par (31st, 1-under, 215) at the Girls High School Golf National Invitational in Texas in July.
Ellie Ryu, Dublin Jerome
Ryu, a senior and three-time nationals competitor who committed to Rutgers, averaged 72.7 last fall and placed 10th at nationals at 149. She won six invitationals, shot 75 or better 15 times and had four rounds of 66-69.
Tian Meadow, Olentangy
After finishing sixth in the Division I state tournaments each of the past two falls, scoring 147 and 145 points, respectively, this junior won five tournaments in the American Junior Golf Association, GolfWeek and Southern Ohio PGA circuits this summer. Tian, who also finished 65th in the Girls Junior PGA Championship, posted a 70.7 average in OCC Buckeye play as a sophomore and finished fifth in the district.
Paige Weiss, Westfall
The senior and Marian freshman finished fourth (153) in last year’s Division II state tournament, capping a season in which she posted a 74.5 average, was named the Scioto Valley Conference Player of the Year and finished second in the Southeast District tournament. She shot 30 and 63 in her first two events this season, posting a 29 on the back nine in the latter.
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Lydia Wigal, Granville
The junior is coming off a strong summer after leading the Blue Aces to their first Division I state tournament. She finished ninth in district (75) and tied for 35th at state (162). Her summer successes included a win at the Naples Junior Open in Florida and a hole-in-one during a practice round in Kentucky.
Caroline Zeiger, Columbus Academy
Zeiger, a senior and the Vikings’ No. 2 player in 2023, finished eighth in district (83) and sixth in state (154) and is one of three returning players in the top five this season. Zeiger averaged 77 per 18 holes last fall and shot 71 to win the Blacklick Woods Sectional.
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