In a competitive field on a difficult course, two Cassville seniors showed double-digit improvement from Day 1 to Day 2 at the Class 2 Girls Golf State tournament last week.
Adelee Hendricks and Madison Robertshaw took 11th and 13th at the Class 2, District 3 tournament at Whispering Oaks Golf Course in Marshfield, qualifying the pair to play in Class 2 Girls Golf State Oct. 21-22 at Freemont Hills Country Club in Nixa.
“They played that course during the regular season, so they were somewhat familiar with the course,” said Jay Rogers, Cassville girls golf coach. “They knew it would be a different setup and more difficult than what they normally see. There were more hazards, more out of bounds areas and houses everywhere because it’s in a nice subdivision.
The pair also skipped their practice round the day before the tournament, as unforeseen circumstances meant they would have had to walk the course. Instead, they chose to save their legs and focus on Day 1.
“They had realistic expectations of where they would finish and what they hoped to do,” Rogers said. “But, they are competitive, and in a sense, they were competing against themselves and their regular- season score.
“Last year, they qualified for state because we went as a team, and this year, they set the goal to qualify individually. I’m glad they were able to achieve that.”
Rogers said right out of the gate, a difficult hole put a damper on the first day.
“It was their second hole, which has a ditch hazard you have to clear to get to the fairway, then you have to go back over it and a pond to reach a difficult green surrounded by bunkers and water,” Rogers said. “They had the right idea how to play it, but their shots got away from them and led to big numbers early. Unfortunately, being the second hole, that set the tone on a frustrating day.”
Determined to end on positive notes, Hendricks and Robertshaw recalibrated on Day 2 — and it showed.
“On Day 2, they brought a competitive mindset but were more relaxed,” Rogers said. “They wanted redemption.”
The round resulted in Hendricks, who finished 76th in the state, improving her score by 11 strokes and Robertshaw, who took 86th in the state, improving hers by 24 strokes. Rogers said the improvement over the two days left the group satisfied.
The only two seniors on the team, Rogers said Hendricks and Robertshaw have been solid leaders for a young group coming up the ranks.
“They have been fantastic players,” he said. “Madi moved in her sophomore year and was a great addition. She’s a hard worker and always led by example. Adelee is a quiet leader, and the way she went about her business helped show others the way.
“Both were friendly and kind to the younger girls, and it was fun to watch them grow. When they started, they were in the 130s range. This year, they were in the 90s. That’s a big jump in golf; it’s hard to improve that much in that short a time.”
Looking ahead, Rogers said he has a good group returning, and he’s excited for the future of the program.
“Gwen Harmon, Taylor Yarnall and Anabele Mills were our other three varsity players most of the year, and I look forward to seeing them continually improve,” Rogers said. “I hope they play in the offseason, and that we get more numbers to keep building.”
