Katy Hoffman set a goal for herself this season as the No. 1 golfer for the Free State High girls team – to beat her best score of 98, set last season at Alvamar Golf Club.

This season, it took the senior only two tournaments to achieve that goal. Hoffman posted a 94 Tuesday afternoon at the Firebird Invitational at Eagle Bend Golf Course.

Free State finished ninth out of 15 teams with a team total of 410, and FSHS coach Craig Hershiser said he expected his team to play better. But there’s no denying the improvement in Hoffman’s game. Hershiser said in the first tournament of the season, Hoffman shot somewhere in the 120s.

“I think she showed mental toughness and resiliency, she practiced well since that time, and I think we saw the fruits of those efforts,” Hershiser said.

One of the most exciting facets of Hoffman’s game is her driving distance. She consistently outdrove everyone in her group Tuesday. So how far can she actually hit the golf ball?

“At practice, on 18, I’ve hit it to the 100-yard marker, so that’s about 260 yards,” Hoffman said.

Hoffman displayed some of her driving distance on the 270-yard sixth hole. She hit a drive that left her about 50 yards to the green. After her approach, Hoffman nailed the 15-foot birdie putt.

“I thought it was actually going to be short, but then it went in, so I was pretty excited,” Hoffman said. “It broke a little to the left, I hit it, and it just went in.”

Free State High's Katy Hoffman hits from the fairway on the ninth hole during the Firebird Invitational at Eagle Bend Golf Course. Hoffman carded a 94 Tuesday to lead all local participants.

Of course, with lengthy driving distance comes the ability to control where the ball lands. Hershiser said that was something he’d been practicing with Hoffman this season.

“She tends to push shots off to the right,” Hershiser said. “She’s improved to a fade. What we’ve worked on is alignment and keeping the ball in the fairway. We’ve worked on swing tempo and good balance and emphasize getting all the way through the ball and finishing with her weight on her front foot.”

Of the last six holes Hoffman played, she hit four greens in regulation. Hoffman said she wanted to improve the most this season on her approach shots.

If there was ever an opposite to the playing style of Hoffman, it would be Lawrence High’s Samantha Hays.

When asked to describe the strongest part of her game, Hays said, “probably my short game – putting and chipping. I parred four holes – almost all the par 3s.”

The senior shot a 101 in the tournament. The Lions placed 13th overall with a team score of 435.

Hays had the best score of the day for the Lions. Judging from her expectations and individual goals, that might be a regular case for her throughout the season.

“I’d really like to stand out for LHS,” she said. “I’m just really looking forward to try and lead the team this year.”

Overland Park Aquinas won the tournament with a team score of 335. Olathe East finished second with a score of 338.