School may have just started, but it has taken little time for the varsity golf team to get into the swing of things.
The team currently holds a 6-1 record, and six out of the total 13 players have already qualified for regionals after only three matches.
Three matches and a 6-1 record doesn’t make a lot of sense at first, but this is due to golf matches often being played between more than two teams.
Six out of 13 players qualifying for regionals is not enough, though, and the team has much higher hopes.
“This year we expect to achieve 100% regional participation,” said coach Dan Barger.
The team has seen growth from last season, and players believe in the sentiment that even more players can make it to the regional competition this year.
“I’d say that last year we had a few standout players, but I feel like we have gotten much better in the sense that as a team we are consistently getting better and bringing our scores lower and lower,” said junior Baron Rand. “This gives everybody a good shot at playing in regionals this year as opposed to only a handful last year.”
This type of success was made possible by the work put in by players during the off-season. Golf is one of the earliest fall sports to start, with matches beginning around mid-August, and players must prepare adequately to be ready for the early start.
“Many people practice in the off-season,” said senior Tucker Gates. “[Many] of us go out and play our favorite courses whenever we can. Typically, it’s a lot of range work and a couple of playing days.”
With eight more matches left to go, the team remains optimistic about their path to regionals. Varsity golf’s next match is at the Kempsvile Greens Golf Course on Sept. 3, 2024, against the Kellam Knights.
“We are only going to get better from here,” said Baron. “We have already set the bar really high in how we should be playing, and I look forward to what the rest of the season brings.”
