Gwinnett Prep Sports

Staff Photo: John Bohn Katie Plummer of Mill Creek hits out of a bunker onto the 5th green during the Region 7-AAAAA Girls Golf Championships held at Heritage Golf Links in Tucker, Tuesday. Plummer finished first in the individual category.

TUCKER -- Katie Plummer missed the last three weeks of the golf season with a strained MCL in her knee.

The Mill Creek junior picked a good time to return to the course.

Plummer sunk the winning putt on the first playoff to lead Mill Creek to the Region 7-AAAAA championship at Heritage Golf Club on Tuesday. It's the second year in a row the Hawks have won the region crown.

"I have to say, it was a good time to come back," Plummer said with a smile. "Winning low medalist is good, but the team going to state is always better."

Plummer was the tournament's low medalist, shooting an 83 on the cold and windy conditions.

"She really stepped up," Mill Creek coach Robert Nelson said.

Mill Creek and Peachtree Ridge both shot a 177 during the first 18 holes. That prompted a playoff on the first hole where Plummer sealed the victory with her putt for a 12-13 advantage.

"We knew it was going to be tough," Nelson said. "It's such a beautiful and tough course. It was so difficult with the wind."

Mill Creek and Peachtree Ridge advance to the Class AAAAA state tournament on May 7 at Westlake Country Club in Augusta.

"This is beyond our wildest dreams," Peachtree Ridge coach Marsha Janofsky said. "We knew we had a shot. We thought it was a long shot, but we thought we had a shot."

Peachtree Ridge was led by Annie Jin's 87 and Jenny Li shot a 90. Sydney Hickman had a 107 and Michelle Lim shot 113.

"Just to make it to a playoff, oh my gosh," Janofsky said. "That was our dream to make it to state."

It would have been a three-way tie for the playoff with Duluth in the mix, but there was a scoring error on a player's card. The error was changed on Duluth's opponent card, but not on the Duluth's player card before it was turned in to the officials.

The Wildcats finished with a score of 179 for third place. The Wildcats' Diane Lim was the runner-up low medalist with an 84 and was able to qualify as an individual for the state tournament.

Mill Creek had to win the region title with just three players. Ari Roberts, who was the region co-champion last year, had to pull out on front nine with an injured oblique. That left Plummer and her teammates Garnett Glaser and Laney Hudson to step up.

"It was definitely a concern. It definitely changed our mindset," Plummer said of the loss of Roberts. "Being captain, I needed to lead the team."

Glaser shot a 94, while Hudson had a 97.

"Everyone contributed," Nelson said. "Ari had to pull out, but was still supporting the team. Katie stepped up. Our No. 4 player, Laney Hudson, her score counted in the playoff. Garnett, her score counted, too. All four contributed."