As the Lady Tigers golfers begin their season today at Silo Ridge in Bolivar, they tee off with one of the deepest lineups they’ve ever put on the course.
“I think this year we’re probably more balanced than we’ve ever been in the past,” says coach Curt Plotner. “We’ve got six girls competing for spots two through five. That’s a good thing to have — something we’ve never had before.”
At the top of that balanced lineup is Baylee Rayl, defending Central Ozarks Conference champion and a state qualifier last year.
“She’ll be a good leader for us. A good score at the top,” says Plotner. “If one of the other girls doesn’t have quite as good a day, she’s probably beating everbody else’s number one by five or ten shots to give us a little bit of a cushion.
“I think with (Baylee) more than anything, it’s the consistency. You always know that’s what you’re going to get from her.”
Behind Rayl, the depth will be important, because the Lady Tigers are trying to replace one of the best golfers in school history. Allison Quigley, who graduated last spring, is one of just two female golfers to qualify for the state tournament four times.
“Replacing Allison’s scores, I don’t think we’re going to quite get there,” says Plotner. “But I think we can maybe shave some off the back half and keep our team score pretty similar to what we’ve been the last couple of years.
Improved senior Bailey Cornelison also returns to the Lady Tigers’ lineup.
“Her ball striking has improved a ton,” says Plotner. “If her short game could come around, I think she could score in the low to mid 90s, which is very respectable.”
Haley Smith, a transfer from Kickapoo, also figures to provide some consistency to the team. Emma and Caroline Blanford have also seen big improvement over last year, according to Plotner. Freshmen Alexus Mitchell and Katie Hamilton should also contribute as the season goes on.
Plotner says the team’s balance and depth have made practices more effective, too.
“They’re competing a little bit in practice, which I think is good,” he says. “That hopefully will get them ready for the tournaments as well.”