AMHS Girls Golf Team Goes 2-0
The AMHS girls golf team got their first two wins last Thursday at Santee Cooper Country Club against Cane Bay and Fort Dorchester, setting them off on the right foot for this season. Freshman Akiera Sanchez led the team with a score of 39 (just 3 over par), winning the lowest scorer among all participants in her inaugural match at AMHS. The final scores for the schools totaled 257 for Cane Bay (3rd), 232 for Fort Dorchester (2nd), and 217 for Academic Magnet (1st).
Leaving from school at 2:45, the girls carpooled for the hour-long drive. Upon arriving, they got to work warming up at the driving range. Before they were able to get any putting practice in, they were called to go over the rules of the match. The Cane Bay coach announced it was double par pickup to keep the match running smoothly, meaning that in the case your score for the hole doubles par (par is the normal number of strokes on the hole that a top player would need to complete it), you have to stop playing the hole. This is not a good thing, and yes, I had to pick up a few times.
Around 4:45, there was a shotgun start, meaning each threesome (one girl from each school grouped together by skill) started at a different hole. Though the gnats and heat were not ideal, the team performed well. “I really like playing here. It’s a very nice course and the girls were really nice too,” Sanchez said after finishing play.
When asked about the match, Senior Sophia Fetten said, “It was long, but fun.” Freshman Evie Heath echoed her sentiment, saying “I liked it, but towards the end I think it starts to wear down your body with all the twisting.” This was also my first time playing in a competitive match since last year and it definitely was a reminder of how physically draining golf can be… especially in 90 degree weather without a golf cart. Did I mention the hills? So much walking! While I make fun of golf just as much as (if not more than) the next person, I have to admire my teammates for the drive (get it?) they have to succeed. Golf is not a sport for a perfectionist. There is always room for error and always room for improvement, even at the professional level. However, these girls give it their all and it showed from their performance Thursday. In the words of Coach Stackhouse, “we have a very good, young team.” Congratulations, Raptors, on the wins!
In other golf news, former AMHS student Andrew Novak just joined the PGA Tour!
