Mia Hornberger played well in a tournament last Monday, but she didn’t expect her strong play to continue at the Maine State Golf Association’s Junior Amateur the following two days at Val Halla in Cumberland.

“I played in a tournament Monday, I played really well,” Hornberger said. “When I usually play well like that, I don’t have great days after. It could have gone either way, but I ended up playing well.”

Hornberger not only played well, the 14-year-old from North Turner won her flight (13- to 15-year-old division) and the overall girls title by posting a two-day total of 155. She won by six strokes over last year’s MPA girls high school individual champion and the defending Junior Am champ, Rachel Smith, who shot 161.

Hornberger credits being consistent over the two days and not getting herself in major trouble — she didn’t make anything worse than a bogey all week. Throughout the summer, her ball-striking has improved, which has helped with her scoring. She estimates she has gained five strokes this season as mis-hits have become less common.

“I use to hit a lot of fat and thin shots,” Hornberger said. “Those have started to go away.”

Being able to strike the ball better from the fairway has also helped Hornberger with the mental side of the game.

“I have never been the most confident person, in general,” Hornberger said. “So having that helps me be consistent and a little more confident in my game.”

After the first day of the Junior Amateur, when she held a two-shot lead over Smith and fellow Turner Highlands member Ruby Haylock, Hornberger wasn’t expecting to win the overall girls title because she was playing in the 13-15 division while Smith and Haylock were in the 16- to 18-year-old flight.

During the second round she didn’t know how Smith and Haylock were doing and she was expecting them to put up a fight.

“It wasn’t until after I finished when someone said, ‘Congrats Mia,’” Hornberger said.

Still only 14 years old, Hornberger’s future is bright, but it won’t be in Maine. She will be applying her trade in the Sunshine State as her family is moving to Claremont, Florida, within the next month to be closer to her dad’s side of the family.

“It was really nice,” Hornberger said of winning the Junior Amateur. “I was really not sure if I was going to have a chance to play in that tournament again. Being able to win it means a lot to me.”

If her family was staying in Maine, Hornberger would have soon been a freshman at Leavitt, where she would have joined Haylock and Morghan Dutil, who also played in the Junior Amateur, on the Hornets’ golf team.

Hornberger, Haylock and Dutil would all likely be contenders at the girls individual tournament at Natanis on Oct. 12.

“I am a little disappointed I won’t be able to join them next year,” Hornberger said.

The move to Florida will be beneficial for Hornberger’s golf career, though, since she will be able to play year-round.

Hornberger said she is unsure if she will play high school golf this year because the high school season in Florida is already starting, as official practices began this past Monday. The season officially kicks off Aug. 19.

“I don’t know much about (Montverde Academy’s) golf team,” Hornberger said. “I know at that school, golf isn’t really big thing, it’s more of basketball that they are focused on at that school.”

Hornberger is fine if she doesn’t play high school golf this season, because she said she needs to work to improve her game.

“The junior events are a lot more competitive down there,” Hornberger said. “So, I might take a little time off from junior events to work on my game a little bit before I get into those (tournaments).

When she decides to play in junior events there, she’s excited for the challenges that will come from playing against better competition.

Hornberger said her goal is to be playing golf after she graduates high school.

“College golf is a really big thing for me,” Hornberger said. “I really want to do that, and the move to Florida will really help me with that goal.”

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