Up to Par--Golf Team Plays First Match of the Season
By Zoe Nix--Eagle Staff Writer
Put put! Golf season has begun!
On Wednesday, March 3rd, the Varsity Boys Golf Team went to the Westlake Golf Course and faced off against Lord Botetourt, Northside, Staunton River, and William Byrd.
This was the first match that the team has played since winter of 2019. Nonetheless, Michael Rogers, Golf Head Coach and math teacher, is very proud of the team.
“I was pleased with our overall performance," he began. "It was the first match we've had in a long time. I know we will get better as the season progresses but for how little time we've had to practice and prepare, I thought we played pretty well.”
Even with their limited practice time, golfers proved the turf isn’t always greener on the other side.
Lord Botetourt may have won first place with 285, but the Eagles took home second place with a score of 314. Meanwhile, Northside followed up third with 340, William Byrd placed fourth with 370, and Staunton River was fifth with 377.
“I am proud of my performance because I surpassed expectations,” Parker Olsson, sophomore, said about his score of 93.
The rest of his team's scores include Sam Fansler, sophomore, 73; Cutter Harvey, senior, 73; Brayden Walmsley, senior, 79; Chase Bower, freshman, 90; and Tyler Saul, junior, 101.
Golf is usually a fall sport, beginning mid-August and stretching to the beginning of October, but due to Covid, their schedule has been flipped upside down.
Despite this setback, Saul still believes they've got what it takes to be up to par and ready to win.
"My performance wasn't the best, but for sure will get better as we practice more," he commented.
For not having played in a year and some months, the team performed well, though improvements are always ready to be made.
“There are several things we can improve on,” Rogers explained. “For a few of my players, yesterday was their first ever varsity match. I think they were a little nervous going in, and that affected their score some. But they will get better with that as they get more experience. As the weather is getting a little warmer, we will be able to get in a lot more practice time, which will help us tremendously. When golf is in the fall, everyone has months to prepare for the season. With starting in February, most weren't able to play much at all for a couple months leading up to tryouts.”
But never fear! Even the players themselves feel that improvement is all for the best.
"I can improve by practicing more and putting hard work into the sport," Olsson said.
Though Covid may be tough, the team has each other and says they are very proud of each other’s work.
"For the rest of the team, we may not have done our best Wednesday, but we all will succeed the more we work together," Saul finished.