ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond Senior High School girls’ golf team might look a little different this fall, but it’s not stopping it from competing.
Set to become the final fall sports program to kick off its season this week, the Lady Raider golf team is coached by fifth-year head coach Keith Parsons.
The numbers this year are smaller than usual, with just one golfer prepared to participate in the Lady Raiders’ first match.
Richmond graduated four golfers last year — Jamie Sears, Morgan Stutts, Abigail Tatum and Makayla Webb.
Sophomore Ella Munn returns this season, having been a member of the team as a freshman. A multi-sport athlete, Munn also runs cross country during the fall season.
“Ella has improved a bunch from last year,” Parsons said. “She has put in a lot of practice this summer and attended a golf camp in Pinehurst. You can really tell a difference in her consistency, distance and putting.
“She is much better from last year, and hopefully she’ll continue to build toward the end of the year.”
For Munn, she hopes her sophomore campaign brings a lot of success on the course, while also continuing to progress with the sport.
“I’m feeling good about this season,” Munn said. “Some things I want to achieve are making it to regionals, dropping down on my score and many more things.”
Because Richmond has just one golfer, Munn will compete individually in each Sandhills Athletic Conference match. In order to compete as a team, schools must have a minimum of three golfers.
Hoping to qualify for the regional tournament, Munn is looking to become the first Lady Raider golfer to achieve that since Hailey Miller competed in the 4A postseason in 2019.
Of the seven schools in the 3A/4A SAC, five will have teams this fall — Lee County, Pinecrest, Richmond, Scotland and Union Pines.
“It’s great for Ella and myself,” Parsons said of the one-golfer team. “We get to work on individual things, and even if we had four or five players, I’d do my best to offer advice.
“Since it’s just she and I, we can talk about every shot and work on strategy,” he added. “We can really take our time at practice and hone in and make Ella’s game the best as possible. For her growth and development on the golf course, it should be a good thing.”
Munn noted that Parsons has been a lot of help during the pre-season, saying her coach, “helps me with taking my time and trying different things to help with my game.”
The Lady Raider golf team will open play on Tuesday at Deercroft Golf Club in Wagram. Golfers will begin teeing off at 3 p.m.
The Richmond Observer will continue its coverage of the Lady Raider golf team this fall, and will post a full schedule soon.
