WAGRAM — Good things continue to happen for the Richmond Senior High School girls’ golf program.
Following two nine-hole matches last week, the Lady Raiders and the rest of the Sandhills Athletic Conference competed in their first 18-hole match of the season Monday.
One of Richmond’s veteran golfers secured a personal best round score, while a newcomer also punched her ticket to the postseason.
Battling the fairways and greens at Deercroft Golf Club, Richmond posted a final team score of 308, good enough for fifth overall. Each team’s top three scores were combined.
Freshman Talley Webb led the Lady Raiders with a 94, followed by seniors Ella Munn (102) and Jacey McRae (112), who contributed to the team score. Freshman Bayden Bendell ended her first full round with a 125.
With her matching scores of 47 on the front and back nines, Webb achieved an early career milestone that also ended a five-year drought for Richmond.
Head coach Keith Parsons explained that Webb has already qualified for the NCHSAA 4A Central Regional Championship, becoming the first Lady Raider to do so since former player Hailey Miller in 2019.
In order to qualify for regionals, the best five nine-hole scores for a player must average out to be below a 50. Webb has posted scores of 50, 46, 46, 47 and 47 for an average of 47.2. Regardless of how her season ends, Webb will play at Longleaf Golf and Family Club.
"Talley set a goal for herself at the beginning of the season to make our regional, and it's so great she already is there,” Parsons said. “Knowing her, she won't be satisfied with that result – she wants more.
“Very solid round for her yesterday, very consistent. Her driver probably has been the best club in her bag for her, and that was the case Monday. She easily outdrove her playing partners on nearly every hole.”
On her scorecard, Munn shot a 53 on the front nine and improved with a 49 on the back nine. The four-year senior is trying to qualify for regionals for the first time and she’s close with an average of 51.8.
McRae did her best work on the front with a 53, followed by a 59 after the turn. Parsons also shared that McRae’s score was a new personal best in an 18-hole contest.
Bendell, who tackled her first complete match as a high school golfer, shot 62 on the front and a 63 on the final nine holes.
"Ella played great, too. She had several putts lip out or burn the edge of the cup, and with two 18-hole matches remaining, she is in a great position to finish strong,” Parsons shared.
“Jacey was happy with her round, and I don't blame her. She competed all day and finished with some of her best play of the round down the stretch to secure a career-best 18-hole score. And Bayden continues to get better and more consistent each week. Her future is very bright."
Pinecrest High School, which shot 18-under par as a team, won the match with a score of 198. Also finishing ahead of Richmond were Lee County (251), Union Pines (261) and Scotland (300) high schools.
Rounding out the standings Monday was Southern Lee High School, which shot a 354.
The Lady Raiders will compete at Whispering Pines Golf Club next Monday for another 18-hole event. Golfers will begin at 2 p.m.
