Blythewood alum Ella Stalvey continues upward trend, wins second city women’s title

Ella Stalvey strives to find some improvement, however small, in her golf game every day, and the results show that her philosophy pays dividends.

After a stellar career at Blythewood High, a win in the 2023 South Carolina Women’s Open and a solid freshman season at East Carolina University, she illustrated her upward trend by winning her second-straight Sonic Columbia City Women’s Championship on Monday and Tuesday.

She forged rounds of 74-68—142, 2-under par, over Fort Jackson Golf Club’s Wildcat Course and called herself pleased to win but disappointed with not taking full advantage of her scoring opportunities.

The latter illustrates her perfectionist attitude about her game.

And there’s this thought after her freshman year of college competition: “I’m not happy with the way I played,” she said, despite qualifying to compete in nine of East Carolina’s 10 tournaments and recording a best individual tournament finish of eighth.

“I think I had a good (college) year, but it was very challenging both physically and mentally,” Stalvey said. “I had never done a lot of weight training and had to learn to swing with the added muscle. There’s the pressure of qualifying, too.

“I’m disappointed that I didn’t score better and get under par, and I hope I can adapt, keep improving and be nicer to myself next year.”

The weight training paid dividends off the tee. She calls her driver “my favorite club” and she continually added distance throughout the year.

Her summer tournament schedule includes the North and South Women’s Amateur at Pinehurst and the Carolinas Women’s Amateur. Meanwhile, she will be searching to shave strokes off her score in practice at Columbia Country Club.

“I’m not a huge fan of hitting range balls and the (practice) putting green,” Stalvey said. “I’d rather get on the course. If the course is open, I like to drop balls at different angles for shots to the green. Then I work on putting on the course’s greens.

“To me, it’s visualizing. On the range, you can’t see how far a ball really goes and or how it reacts when it lands. Besides, most of those balls have been hit thousands of times. I like to see the results.”

So far, the results are ever improving.

Introduced to golf by her dad, Ryan, she followed in older sister Parker’s footsteps in the game. Parker, remember, advanced to the final of the Drive, Chip and Putt competition, played in college and won the Women’s City Championship.

Her dad remains her swing coach and she watches video of Rory McIlroy. “He’s exceptional off the tee,” she said, “and that’s the best part of my game.”

Long range, Stalvey would like to play professional golf, and she said, “I’ll try my best for that to happen, but you never know in golf from one day to the next.”

But she does know that her improve-daily philosophy works well and will continue to be her focus. Add the experience gained in college competition and expect her to maintain that upward trend.

More City results. Two competitors in the Women’s City Championship can identify with Stalvey’s situation and illustrate that golf is a game for a lifetime.

Leigh Coulter played on Furman’s national championship team in 1976, and Catherine Shealy earned a place in Winthrop’s athletic hall of fame. In this year’s city tourney, Coulter won the senior division and Shealy, who captured the senior division in the 2023 S.C. Women’s Open, finished third in the championship division.

Kim Perry placed second to Stalvey overall, and Shealy posted the low championship flight score for players age 50 and older. Julie Snider won the City Division title.

“A good tournament overall,” appraised Coulter, the tournament director.

Chip shots. The lottery to secure tickets for the 2025 Masters Tournament is open at www.masters.com through June 20. Applicants must create an account, then select the number of tickets to be purchased and the days to attend. Prices are $100 for practice rounds and $140 for tournament rounds. Results will be sent via email in late July. ... Clemson graduate Annabelle Pancake began her final summer of amateur competition by winning the Sea Island Women’s Amateur at St. Simons Island, Georgia. Pancake prevailed in the 54-hole event against 83 on the nation’s top women amateurs. ... Luke Mosely (Greenville) and Jeep Patrick (Hilton Head Island) earned places in the U.S. Junior Amateur in qualifying at Cat Island Club in Beaufort. The national tournament will be played in July at Oakland Hills in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.