A Win for the CGA

Growing up as a golfer in the 1990’s and early 2000’s, team and golf were two words that didn’t get intermixed, frequently. At least not at the junior amateur level. While we had the opportunity to play on our high school team, and later college team, the format was always the same – individual stroke play tallied up for a team score with the lowest team score winning the event. Every other year, I would, and still do, boil over in excitement when the Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup are contested. Wearing Red, White and Blue all week, tracking matches online and watching as much television coverage as possible. Those matches aren’t about individual scores for eighteen holes. They are about teamwork, comradery, hole to hole competition in a match play format, and representing your country! Now, back to amateur golf. Originating in 1957, the Virginias – Carolinas Women’s Team Matches have been contested for 62 years while alternating venues annually between Virginia/West Virginia and NC/SC. Each team is comprised of 24 players – 14 Amateurs and 10 Senior Amateurs – all of which have either received automatic exemptions, earned ranking points or were selected through a captain’s pick. In mid-June my cell phone rang. It was a call I had been anticipating, but with a bit of uncertainty. It was good news. I had been extended a Captain’s invitation to compete on the Carolinas Team in the upcoming matches. I was elated! And, overwhelmed with the responsibility to come. As a captain’s pick, I wanted to be an asset for my teammates and captains while representing the Carolinas Golf Association to the best of my ability. This year’s matches were contested at Sea Pines Country Club on Hilton Head Island. A private strip of heaven on earth. Truly one of the best golf courses I have played in a really long time. It was fair, but tough. Lots of nagging hazards and overhanging limbs, Par 5s that were three shot holes, and uniquely shaped green complexes. The format for the matches included Four-Ball Match Play, Pinehurst Modified Alternate Shot Match Play and Singles Match Play. Each format provided opportunity to earn up to three points – 1 for front, 1 for back, and 1 overall. Keeping every match ‘in play’, all day. It was our captain’s responsibility to pair up personalities for the first two days of matches. Hoping to garner as many points as possible early on as the Day 3 singles would be worth 50% of the overall points for the week. Day 1 my partner was Courtney McKim. A 28 year old lefty who played at Alabama. After the front nine, I decided to focus on safely driving the golf cart and making pars because Courtney was on fire. She rolled in 8 birdies over the course of the round and I wasn’t going to get in her way! At the end of Day 1, the Carolinas were up 23.5 to 12.5. Day 2 my partner was Kayla Thompson. A 22 year old, freshly minted Alum from University of North Carolina at Wilmington. My home for the first two years of college – go Seahawks! It took us a few holes to get comfortable with the alternate shot format as it plays very differently on Par 3s, 4s, and 5s. To get a visual, you both tee off, then hit from your partners tee shot, then decide which ball you want to play and alternate from that point in. Once we got in the groove, we had a blast. On most holes we ended up using my tee shot, Kayla’s approach and my putt. Together we compiled 6 birdies and were able to secure all three points for the Carolinas. At the end of Day 2, the Carolinas were up 51 to 21 with 72 points still on the table for Day 3. Day 3 was Singles. In a random draw, I was paired against Katie Turk, who Courtney McKim and I played again during Four Ball on Day 1. Katie is another lefty and a rising senior at JMU. Our match started on the back nine. We both hit some good shots the first few holes and our putters were just a bit cold. But, as we got in the groove my putter found a few hot holes and I was able to get up early in the match. After working to control my nervous energy and capitalize on confidence built throughout the week, I secured our team three full points in Singles play. At the end of Day 3, the Carolinas had secured the cup, winning the matches with a final score of 89 to 55. What a great feeling to have participated in my first team event for the Carolinas Golf Association. I was humbled to have been selected and look forward to working hard to earn a spot on the team in 2019. Go Carolinas!