Riverhead golfer Marshak shoots career low to qualify for states

After shooting an 84 in the opening round of the Suffolk County girls golf championships at Pine Hills Golf & Country Club in Manorville on Monday, May 18, Riverhead golfer Madison Marshak was in second place securing a strong position to qualify for the New York State tournament for the second consecutive year. 

The sophomore needed another solid performance the next day to cement that spot in the states. She left no doubt, shooting a career-low — and tournament-best — 77 to finish second overall, just three strokes behind the winner. 

Being in second place after the first day put Marshak in the final grouping on day two. She was paired with the first- and third-place golfers, both past county champions.

“Imagine being matched up with the best of the best of the tournament on the final day and the nerves that come with it,” head coach Steve Failla said. “Clearly, all it did was raise her game. She doesn’t get rattled out there. She beat both of them on day two.”

Elie Poremba of Southampton/Pierson won the event this year after winning it three years ago as a seventh-grader. The other golfer in the group was Ella Girard, a Ward Melville senior who won the championship last year.

Marshak’s performance put her squarely in the conversation among the county’s best golfers.

She cut a six-shot deficit for the lead to just three by the final hole. Had she not left some strokes out there on the first day, things may have played out differently. 

“It has everything to do with my confidence,” Marshak said. “On day two, I was able to get my short game to where I wanted it. My shots were accurate, and I just felt like my head was more in it. It was just one of those days that you’re locked in.”

Two years ago, as an eighth-grader, Marshak finished in 10th place and became an alternate for the state tournament. Last year, she finished seventh and played in states. This year, she secured the best finish by a Riverhead girl golfer in the history of the Suffolk County event.

“She’s a fierce competitor,” Failla said. “She’s not ok with being second. She finished the round pissed off and wanted to be in first place. She wants to be the best golfer in Suffolk County and one of the best in New York State. There’s no stopping her from getting there. The sky is the limit.”

A key part of Marshak’s rise has been her mental strength. 

“You can’t let one bad shot change your whole mental approach,” Marshak said. “The more I play, the more I am comfortable with making a bad shot. Mistakes happen, but you have to block it out and move forward.”

Marshak is one of two Riverhead golfers heading to states. Senior Colby Baran qualified for the event in the fall on the boys side. Both also participated in the state tournament last year.

“It’s a massive statement for our program,” Failla said. “Riverhead is a blue-collar town. Our kids don’t belong to country clubs. They work at golf courses. These kids just have the grit to push themselves to the next level, and it wouldn’t be possible without the support of our school administration and local golf courses. When everyone buys in, this is the result we get to see.”

The New York State tournament will take place at Wild Wood Country Club in Rush, outside Rochester, on Sunday, June 7. The final round will be played the next day.