After hours of grueling matches, sun bearing down on their necks as they trekked from hole to hole, the Highlander golf team ended a successful season. They finished fourth in the Class D Region 6 Virginia golf tournament, with outstanding scores of 78 on the first day and 73 on the second day.
The team rallied around each other for big wins throughout the season, and although golf is almost an exclusively individual sport, the group scoring system in high school requires teammates to work together to get the best scores.
“Golf can be a lonely game because it is an individual sport,” head coach Ryan Abrams said. “But really trying to bring in and lean on that team aspect in high school is important. Having fun, working hard and doing competitions within the team can build lasting friendships in the sport.”
The team’s practices and scrambles also served as a place for improvement in each player’s game, even with the constraints posed by the school year.
“We were really intentional with our practices,” Abrams said. “We only focused on getting better and playing our best golf by the end of the season.”
Along with their constant urge to improve, the McLean golf team displayed an impressive balance between fun and work ethic on the course.
“We wanted to make sure that we’re doing the things we can right now to put in the work, so that we are as competitive as we can be,” Abrams said. “The competition was strong, but I really think our teamwork gave us an edge in close tournaments and made our season a memorable one.”