Payton Drefke spends a lot of her time on the golf course.
The former Ankeny Centennial standout will never forget the last two days.
Drefke recorded the first hole-in-one of her career on Monday, then followed up with another solid round on Tuesday to capture medalist honors in the USF Invitational at Larchwood, Iowa. The junior also led her Augustana University (S.D.) squad to the overall crown.
“I am seeing my hard work paying off, which is awesome,” said Drefke, who was a three-time state qualifier at Centennial in 2022-24. “I have been working on my short game and swing all summer, and I have seen improvements for sure. As far as my mental game goes, I have been continuing to work on keeping a level head throughout my whole round, good shots or bad, and keep focusing on one shot at a time and making the next one the best.”
Drefke led the way as all five Augustana golfers placed in the top 12. The Vikings posted a 619 total to finish 12 strokes ahead of USF.
Drefke carded an even-par 72 on Monday to take a three-shot lead over teammate Jadyn McDonald. Her round was highlighted by an ace on the 110-yard, par-3, No. 18 hole.
“I was not expecting it!” Drefke said. “My line was straight at the pin over the bunker, which was a little aggressive, but I knew I could get it there. It hit 3 feet before the pin and took a hop past it, then spun back and disappeared into the cup! It was an amazing feeling; I don’t think I could feel my legs for a while!
“I was very glad my parents were there as well to witness it with me,” she added.
Drefke then shot a 77 on Tuesday to seal her victory. She posted a 36-hole total of 149 to finish three strokes ahead of USF’s Sophia Karsnia.