Polk girls golf team tees off to open season

Tuesday afternoon was as much about a new beginning as the actual results for Polk County’s girls golf team.

Since adding the girls program to his duties as boys golf coach, Pat McCool has been working to recruit enough players to have a full team. That mission became accomplished on Tuesday as the Wolverines teed off at Black Mountain Golf Course.

Originally scheduled to be a four-team Western Highlands Conference match, there proved to be only two full teams there, Avery and Polk County. The Vikings, traditionally a league power, posted a team score of 146 to top Polk’s 184. Owen had just one player take part while Mountain Heritage did not attend.

With talented local junior players such as Addie Buss and Charley Dusenbury, McCool’s goal is to begin growing the program before the arrival of those younger golfers. Tuesday’s match was the first step in that journey, with four players new to the sport competing.

Tori Thompson led the Wolverines with a score of 60, with Alana Jergenson and Caelan Gaul each posting a 62 and Kaylin Jenkins finished with a 65.

Avery’s Ellie Pitman took low honors with a 42, followed by teammate Adrianna Brookshire and Owen’s Keira Johnson at 49.

The Wolverines are scheduled to return to the links next Tuesday at Mountain Glen Golf Course.

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