Editor's note: MTN Sports is featuring a Midland Roundtable Athlete of the Year finalist nightly leading into this year's awards banquet Monday, May 12 at 7 p.m. at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center. Ten graduating seniors (five boys, five girls) in the Billings area are nominated annually by coaches and activities directors. Roundtable members — a group of longtime sports enthusiasts in Billings — have then voted on one male and one female winner since 1989. In rare instances, the award has been shared.)
BILLINGS — If you want to find Billings Senior’s Becca Washington, the golf course is a great place to start. Though, she’ll admit her most memorable high school tournament started dicey.
“It kind of wasn’t my best day. I had a really bad hole and it was just kind of a defeating feeling like, ‘Man, I really lost out in one hole,’” Washington recalled of the opening round of her State AA golf tournament to close her senior season.
The next day, Washington got up off the deck, rallied hard, tied for the lead and forced a sudden death playoff in her last chance to win an individual Class AA title.
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“There was like 40 mph wind, and everybody was watching … probably the most stressful golf I’ve ever played,” she said.
One playoff hole turned into a second before she stood over a short, pressure-packed putt for the win.
“I’ve never played under that much pressure. People watch you when you golf, but like, your mom, other people’s moms, and my coach," she said with a laugh. "But all the kids from all the schools around the green … I kind of felt like I was at The Masters. Not really, but it kind of felt like it,” Washington added with a smile.
And in clutch fashion, Becca buried it. Her final high school putt after four years as a first-team all-state player.
As for The Masters, she can relate to Rory McIlroy finally winning his first.
“I can’t say I love Rory because he reminds me of myself because he’s right there, then he does something and it’s like, ‘Oh, c’mon, Rory! You got this!’ But yeah, I was really happy for him to get that Grand Slam,” she said.
Washington, who has a golf scholarship at Colorado Mesa and is already a step ahead in the classroom while loading up on AP coursework, can knock down shots no matter Montana's roller coaster weather conditions.
She says her favorite club "changes all the time" but when her driver is hot, that’s it. Golf has always been part of her life since about age five, she says.
“And I did (Peter) Yegen Kids (golf), and they got you out on the green and I remember they were just like, ‘Okay, don’t hit each other,’” Washington recalled with another laugh.
Midland Roundtable Athlete of the Year
2025 Female finalists: Grace Curnow (West), Dani Jordan (Lockwood), Leela Ormsby (Senior), Rae Smart (Skyview), Becca Washington (Senior).
2025 Male finalists: Malachi Claunch (West), Jack DeBourg (Cenetral), Ryan Dierenfield (Skyview), Zach Morse (West), Ryder Murdock (Senior).
For banquet information, contact Kory Loberg at KoryL@universalawards.net. Tickets are $40 for individual and $300 for a table of eight.
