ROCKINGHAM — Although this year’s roster is small, the Richmond Senior High School girls’ golf team hopes to pack a powerful swing on the course.
Coached by sixth-year head coach Keith Parsons, the Lady Raiders will become the fifth of six programs to begin competition this fall.
Like last season, the Lady Raiders’ numbers are small. Currently there are just three members on the team, but Parsons said Richmond is still recruiting new golfers.
Back for her third season is multi-sport athlete Ella Munn. Returning as the team’s leading golfer from a year ago, Munn also runs cross country during the fall sports season.
Also back is junior Jacey McRae, who competed for the first time as a sophomore. New to the team this year is sophomore Emma Humann.
“The pre-season has been a pleasant surprise,” Parsons said. “Ella and Jacey returned with obvious improvement in their games, and Emma is joining us with a tremendous upside.
“I can’t wait to see how they do in our first match. With these three, we will have the minimum qualifying amount.”
Richmond will compete in the Sandhills Athletic Conference. All three Lady Raiders will have a chance to qualify individually, while their combined scores will place them each match.
Over the summer, Munn participated in a golf camp at Duke University and noted she’s already seen it pay dividends.
“My expectations are to shoot a lower score than the year before,” Munn explained. “Golf camp helped with my swing a lot. There has been so much improvement already.”
Last season, the Lady Raiders didn’t qualify anyone for the NCHSAA 4A regional round. Munn, McRae and Humann will try to become the first Richmond female golfer to make it to the postseason since Hailey Miller in 2019.
“This is Ella’s third year as a contributor to our team, and I expect her to continue to improve on what she has done so far,” Parsons shared. “She is a great competitor and puts a lot of practice in to get better.
“Jacey came to the sport a bit later and showed immediate talent; having a year’s experience should be great for her and help her get that much better,” he added. “And Emma will jump in and be a big part of our progress, too. As always, our goal is to be better at the end of the season than we were when we started.”
The team has spent much of the past month preparing for the upcoming season. Practices have been held at Foxfire, Richmond’s home course.
“As always, we appreciate the help from Foxfire Resort and Golf, and specifically assistant professional Ethan Brown,” Parsons closed.
“Ethan was a four-year member of our golf program and continues to impress me with his love of the game. His help for practice and our home match Sept. 18 has been invaluable.”
The Lady Raiders will begin their season on Monday, Sept. 11, at Scotch Meadows in Laurinburg for a nine-hole match.
The Richmond Observer will continue its award-winning coverage of the boys’ and girls’ cross country teams this fall.
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