LAURINBURG — The Richmond Raider golf team played its first full round of golf this season on Tuesday at Scotch Meadows Country Club.
Unlike their last outing at Sanford before spring break, the Raiders struggled on the course and finished sixth out of six qualifying teams.
Six golfers participated in the 18-hole round, with the top four scores being used to total up the final team tally. Richmond finished the day with a final posting of 408.
“The first 18-hole match of the season is always a bit of a shock to the system, particularly when you have as many players relatively new to the sport as we do,” head coach Keith Parsons explained.
“I was pleased everybody finished in a timely manner and kept pace with their playing partners and the others around them. That is a big deal, and we’ll get only better from here.”
Pinecrest High School won the match with a score of 296. The rest of the standings were Southern Lee (349), Lee County (370), Union Pines (381) and Scotland (393). Hoke County also participated but didn’t have enough golfers to qualify.
Senior Ayden Mabe was at the head of the pack for Richmond, posting a new career-low score of 87 in 18 holes. Mabe shot a 46 on the front nine before bettering his score with a 41 on the final nine holes.
Competing in his first career full match was freshman Kevin Tabacolde, who came into the clubhouse with a final score of 99. He shot a 50 on the front and a 49 on the back.
First-year seniors Jullian Cline and Walker Lambeth accounted for Richmond’s final two qualifying scores. Cline notched 54s on both sides of the turn for a final tally of 108, and Lambeth shot a pair of 57s to end the day with a 114.
Also in contention were freshmen D.J. Gainey (114) and James Pack (115). Gainey shot 62 on the front and 52 on the back, while Pack posted a 57 and 58, respectively.
Senior Tyson Holloway, playing an individual round not counted toward the final score, shot 123. He made a 62 on the front and ended with a 61 on the back nine.
“Ayden’s score was impressive, for sure, and what I liked as much was his demeanor as the scores were being counted,” Parsons said. “I’m sure he was pleased with his round, since it’s the best score he has posted on an 18-hole match in his career.
“Yet he genuinely was bummed the team didn’t fare as well as we did in our previous match. He’s that type of person, and a great leader for our team. And I know he believes he’ll go even lower in one of our two final matches.”
With 12 points through four matches, the Raiders sit in fifth place in the Sandhills Athletic Conference standings.
Richmond will compete in another 18-hole match at Whispering Pines Golf Club next Monday, starting at 2 p.m.
