LAURINBURG — The season-opening match for the Richmond Senior High School girls’ golf team Monday saw the Lady Raiders finish near the middle of the pack.
Richmond participated in the first Sandhills Athletic Conference golf match of the fall, a nine-hole contest, at Scotch Meadows Country Club.
Competing against five other teams, four of which had enough qualifying players, the Lady Raiders placed fourth with a team score of 160. The top three scores from each team are added up to equal a team’s total.
On the course for Richmond were senior returners Jacey McRae and Ella Munn, along with senior newcomer Tess Bryant. Freshmen Bayden Bendell and Talley Webb both made their high school debut.
“All in all, it was a pleasant start for us,” head coach Keith Parsons said. “I believe everyone had some nerves, even our two senior returners in Ella and Jacey. And still they all fought through and posted respectable scores.
“Great to see Talley lead the way in her first high school match,” he added. “I expect we will see her go much lower as the season continues, which will help us creep up on the schools above us in the standings.”
Webb took the course by storm in her first career high school match, leading the team with a final tally of 50 on the par-36 scorecard. She was just one shot over par through four holes.
Munn and McRae weren’t too far behind, as the pair of seniors posted scores of 54 and 56, respectively.
Bendell and Bryant rounded out Richmond’s scoring with matching scores of 63.
Pinecrest High School, the perennial SAC powerhouse program, placed first overall with a team score of 103.
Taking second place was Lee County High School (140), followed by third-place Union Pines High School (151).
Finishing in fifth place behind Richmond was host Scotland High School (167) and Southern Lee High School only had two golfers, which didn’t allow the Lady Cavaliers to qualify as a team.
Hoke County High School, the final SAC school, does not have a girls’ golf team this season.
London Fitzgerald of Pinecrest led the field with a round low score of 32, which was four-under par.
The Lady Raiders, who are in fourth place in the SAC standings after the first match, will play their lone home match Monday.
Richmond will host the other SAC teams at Foxfire Resort and Golf for a nine-hole match starting at 3 p.m.
“Can’t wait to see how we play at our home match Monday at Foxfire,” Parsons closed.
