Barrett tries to end Jr. career with a bang

Adam Candee

Wednesday, June 23, 2004 | 10:11 a.m.

Katy Barrett looked up Tuesday to see her past and her future right in front of her on the golf course.

Barrett's past is a faded black head cover that looks like a panther, her four-year fuzzy companion at Palo Verde High School. The cat now sits atop the bag of Mandi Incorvaia, who played in the group before Barrett's in Tuesday's opening round of the Las Vegas Founders Junior Golf Championship.

Now ready for college, Barrett can barely look back on her high school golf success without seeing Incorvaia, a Panthers' sophomore-to-be, ready to outdo it. Barrett embraces that idea, which is why she handed down the head cover to Incorvaia at the Panthers' year-end banquet.

"I think Mandy can be even better than I am now," Barrett said. "When I was her age, I was breaking 90, maybe shooting in the 70s every once in a while. But she's shown more consistently low 80s, in the 70s some."

Barrett is ahead of Incorvaia after the first day of play, however, firing 3-over 74 on the Mountain Course at Angel Park. Incorvaia shot 7-over 78 and both girls trail leader Jane Chin by a healthy margin. Chin, a 17-year-old from Huntington Beach, Calif., shot 3-under to grab a one-shot lead over Tiffany Joh of San Diego. Chin and Joh are the only two girls under par after one round.

Daniel Lim, 17, of Gilroy, Calif., leads three players by one stroke after firing 4-under 67 in the first round in the boys' division. The tournament, featuring some of the top junior players in the West, continues today and concludes Thursday.

Barrett, who nearly gave up golf as a teenager before rededicating herself to the game, is playing the event as a tune-up for her college golf career at Toledo, which begins in September.

"These tournaments are just fun, just trying to put up a good score," said Barrett, the daughter of former big-league baseball player Marty Barrett.

Incorvaia, though, is just beginning the process of attracting attention on the junior circuit after a promising freshman season at Palo Verde. Incorvaia tied for fourth at the Sunset Region tournament -- three strokes behind her mentor, Barrett.

"Katy is my favorite," Incorvaia said. "She was my mommy on the golf course. She definitely tried to help me."

Barrett took Incorvaia under her wing and enjoyed playing the big sister, offering encouragement and a calming influence to all of the Panthers' younger players. In Incorvaia, though, Barrett sees something special.

"I see a lot of me in her," Barrett said. "She always has a good attitude. She never gets too upset; I've never been one to get really upset. She just really wants to be good. She really wants to play and she's just really easygoing. Her and I get along great."

The girls represent a promising cycle for the Southern Nevada Junior Golf Association. Just as one top player is reaching the crescendo of her career, another is coming right along to take her place -- even if the youngster is still learning the ropes.

Incorvaia, who took up golf only a few years ago, needed some time before achieving success in her freshman year.

"I got a little discouraged because they were always outdriving me," Incorvaia said. "But, in the long run, I just realized that I'm still a baby. I'm just going to be a sophomore, so I've still got time to grow and be just as good as them."

She may be a baby, but with Barrett leaving Palo Verde, Incorvaia understands that her learning curve may need to shoot upward in a hurry.

"I've got to step up to the plate now," Incorvaia said.