Stuttgart’s Cristian McGinnis watches his putt head toward the pin on the No. 1 green during the first day of the DODEA European golf championships on Oct. 16, 2025, at Woodlawn Golf Course on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany – Lorelai Schelcher was the last qualifier to make the cut for the 2025 DODEA European golf championships.

That didn’t weigh on the Rota golfer’s mind when she stepped onto Woodlawn Golf Course on Thursday for the first day of the season-ending championships. In fact, she came into the round loose and well rested.

That showed on the course. Schelcher nearly doubled her season average with 13 points to sit in fifth place in the girls individual competition.

DODEA-Europe uses a modified Stableford scoring system that awards golfers points based off their result on each individual hole.

Ramstein’s Nora Hacker leads the competition after 18 holes with 35 points, while Wiesbaden’s Janine Buenaobra sits in second with 27 points.

“I honestly think it took a lot of the pressure off,” Schelcher said of being the final qualifier. “I was in a great headspace today.”

Her performance couldn’t have been further from the last time she stepped onto Woodlawn. On Sept. 19, Schelcher recorded just two points. She later recovered in Wiesbaden with 12 points to punch her ticket to Euros.

The Admiral said the Wiesbaden tournament gave her confidence heading into Thursday.

She also credited her time on the driving range over the past couple of weeks and changing her swing by closing her club face when setting up. She then opens it up while bringing the club forward.

“Last time I came here, I was not hitting my driver straight and kept getting it into the woods and losing my balls,” Schelcher said. “This time, I figured out a hack that works for my swing, and now I can hit a lot straighter and farther.”

Rota's Lorelai Schelcher follows her chip shot on Hole No. 17 during the first day of the DODEA European golf championships on Oct. 16, 2025, at Woodlawn Golf Course on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Hohenfels' Paxton Roach hits from the No. 2 fairway during the first day of the DODEA European golf championships on Oct. 16, 2025, at Woodlawn Golf Course on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Stuttgart's Jack Luttrell chips onto the No. 10 green during the first day of the DODEA European golf championships on Oct. 16, 2025, at Woodlawn Golf Course on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Kaiserslautern's David McAdams drives off the No. 12 tee during the first day of the DODEA European golf championships on Oct. 16, 2025, at Woodlawn Golf Course on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Ramstein's Lilianna Greene chips on the No. 18 fairway during the first day of the DODEA European golf championships on Oct. 16, 2025, at Woodlawn Golf Course on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Wiesbaden's Lillian Harvey eyes the No. 17 green ahead of a putt during the first day of the DODEA European golf championships on Oct. 16, 2025, at Woodlawn Golf Course on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

One of her more memorable moments wasn’t bogeying par-3 Nos. 17 and 5. Instead, it came on the No. 8 hole. Schelcher hit the ball into the water hazard, but instead of the ball sinking, it skipped like a rock and came out on the other side near the green.

“It hit the water, I saw the splash and was just like, “Oh …’ But it ended up bouncing and everyone went insane because it was so crazy,” Schelcher said.

She wasn’t the only golfer to nearly double their season average during the first round to be in fifth place.

Stuttgart’s Cristian McGinnis totaled 29 points on the boys side. He entered the 26-man field tied for the 13th-best season average of 17 points.

The sophomore sits nine points back of leader Michael Schmiedel of Ramstein, who totaled 38. Wiesbaden’s Gunner Blackmon has a firm grip on second place with 37 points, while Royal Tyler Hacker is third with 31.

Kaiserslautern’s Josh Otto doubled his season average to put himself in fourth with 30 points.

McGinnis, whose previous spell playing the sport lasted half a year when he was younger, picked back up his golf clubs for the first time this fall. Outside of the first two holes that he scratched, McGinnis played as though he never gave up golf.

“Usually in my head, I don’t count the first hole because it’s like a warmup,” McGinnis said. “I feel like I got into the swing of things (after that).”

The Panther scored on 16 holes, with the highlights being a pair of pars on Nos. 1 and 2. Those two results came after he was stung by a bee waiting to start Hole No. 1.

“I’m not allergic, so I was fine,” McGinnis said.

Hohenfels’ Paxton Roach had hoped to be in the same spot as McGinnis but fell short of his goal of 30 points Thursday.

Still, his 25-point performance was nine better than his season average and has him tied for seventh with Lakenheath’s Tyler Korell, last year’s runner-up.

“It seemed reasonable,” Roach said of his goal of 30 points on the round. “If I wouldn’t have scratched those four holes, I would have shot 30. I just got in my head and messed up. Golf is a mental game.”

Wiesbaden's Jake Koschnik chips from the edge of the woods on Hole No. 12 during the first day of the DODEA European golf championships on Oct. 16, 2025, at Woodlawn Golf Course on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Kaiserslautern's Mackenzie Dager chips out of the woods on the No. 18 hole during the first day of the DODEA European golf championships on Oct. 16, 2025, at Woodlawn Golf Course on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Ramstein's Magdalena Bowles follows her putt on the No. 17 green during the first day of the DODEA European golf championships on Oct. 16, 2025, at Woodlawn Golf Course on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Ramstein's Michael Schmiedel drives off the No. 9 tee while fellow Royal Tyler Hacker, center, and Lakenheath's Tyler Korell watch during the first day of the DODEA European golf championships on Oct. 16, 2025, at Woodlawn Golf Course on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Lakenheath's Tyler Korell listens to Ramstein coach Greg Hewitt as he sets up for a shot in the woods on the No. 9 hole during the first day of the DODEA European golf championships on Oct. 16, 2025, at Woodlawn Golf Course on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Naples’ David Manus follows his shot out of the woods on the No. 8 hole during the first day of the DODEA European golf championships on Oct. 16, 2025, at Woodlawn Golf Course on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

The highlight of the freshman’s day came on the No. 15 hole, when he chipped in a birdie. Roach was one of seven golfers to get a birdie – Schmiedel (two), Blackmon, Tyler Hacker, Nora Hacker, Buenaobra and Stuttgart’s Kayden Nelson being the others.

“It was pretty cool,” Roach said of his birdie. “I freaked out.”

Schelcher, McGinnis and Roach will be moving up the groupings on Day 2, with the Admiral and Panther going with the second girls and boys trios, respectively.

All three said they aren’t going to let the occasion affect them when they tee off back on Woodlawn Golf Course at 9:30 a.m. Friday.

“I’m not going to change my mentality much,” Schelcher said. “It is a new day, a new beginning.”

Spangdahlem's Landon Bueche sinks a putt for par on the No. 2 hole during the first day of the DODEA European golf championships on Oct. 16, 2025, at Woodlawn Golf Course on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Ramstein's Jack Varholy follows his shot on the No. 12 fairway during the first day of the DODEA European golf championships on Oct. 16, 2025, at Woodlawn Golf Course on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Wiesbaden's Tegan McConville chips from between the bunkers on the No. 1 hole during the first day of the DODEA European golf championships on Oct. 16, 2025, at Woodlawn Golf Course on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Kaiserslautern's Olivia Ferdinandsen hits out of the rough on the No. 17 hole during the first day of the DODEA European golf championships on Oct. 16, 2025, at Woodlawn Golf Course on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Naples' Parker Langton chips toward the No. 1 green during the first day of the DODEA European golf championships on Oct. 16, 2025, at Woodlawn Golf Course on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Stuttgart's Isabelle Spencer putts on the No. 17 green during the first day of the DODEA European golf championships on Oct. 16, 2025, at Woodlawn Golf Course on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)