Karley Whittington drained her putt, a snaking 6-footer, and raised her arms in triumph. She was all smiles as she walked off the green and hugged her mother, and later on as she mingled with her defeated opponents in the clubhouse.

The putt on the fifth hole at Clear Creek Golf Course finished a victory she’d basically clinched hours earlier, in a relatively meaningless Monday afternoon regular-season high school match. Even the best, though, can find new ways to achieve and celebrate greatness.

Whittington’s final putt for birdie gave her a 1-under par 71 and a seven-shot victory in the Lady Vikes Invitational. It was the first time the Warren Central freshman and reigning MHSAA Class III girls state champion had ever finished a round under par.

“I just feel really accomplished because I shot 1-under. If I’m going to go anywhere, that’s what I need to do,” Whittington said. “I raised my arms up because I was so happy. That’s a huge accomplishment in my golf career.”

St. Martin’s Sydney Cato was the runner-up with a 78, and teammate Jordan Wescovich shot an 89 to finish third. St. Aloysius’ Laura Phillips (92), Anna Fletcher (96) and Beth Newman (97) were the only other golfers in the six-team match to break 100.

Phillips and Fletcher have led St. Al to back-to-back Class I championships, but neither was thrilled with their effort on Monday. They were, however, happy for Whittington, a friend and frequent playing partner.

“She’s just amazing,” Fletcher said.

When asked if Whittington was on a different level than the rest of the field, Phillips laughed and said, “I wish I could get on hers and know what it’s like.”

Whittington has already cut an impressive swath across Mississippi’s junior golf landscape. She was the medalist at last year’s Class III state tournament at Clear Creek — a feat she hopes to repeat when the course hosts the tournament again this May — and is 2-for-2 in the young high school season. Monday’s victory followed one in a nine-hole tournament two weeks ago at Canton Country Club.

Monday’s win was an easy one, but Whittington needed a strong finishing kick to achieve her personal goal of breaking par.

She eagled the ninth hole, then made double bogey on the 17th to give back the two shots. The tournament featured a shotgun start, so Whittington finished up on the front nine and needed birdie on her final hole to get back under par.

She hit her second shot on the par-4 fifth hole to within 6 feet, then made the tricky putt on a downward, breaking slope.

“I’ve been putting good,” she said. “It was downhill so I was afraid I was going to miss it. I wasn’t happy with my second shot. But if I hit it closer I could’ve missed it because of the break.”

Up next for Whittington and the Lady Vikes is a tournament March 24 at Live Oaks in Clinton.

There’s five more tournaments on the schedule before the big one, the state tournament, back at Clear Creek May 4 and 5. Whittington will once again be a favorite — especially if she can keep up the hot start to the season.

“I hit the ball really well good today,” she said. “I just hope I’m hitting it this well when we host state, because that’s my goals is to medal all the way through high school.”