Flyers Golf Two Tournaments Into Fall Slate, Looking Ahead
Two tournaments into the fall season, Sandhills Community College women's golf coach Herb Pike is seeing progress.
"They are all great girls," he said as he watched his golfers work on their short games last week at the Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club's beautiful practice facility. "The fall season is about finding out where we are and what we need to work on, but we will also see some good competition. I can only see good things happening from here on out."
Freshman Danielle Marovich led the Lady Flyers at the season-opening Cutter Creek Invitational held on September 4-5 in Snow Hill, N.C. with scores of 82-79-161 that earned a tied for 17th place finish. The other leaders for Pike's squad were sophomores Amanda Hill, 87-86-173 (T-31) and Parker Watson, 84-92-176 (T-33).
Marovich is a product of Mount Pleasant High School in the Charlotte area where she also played basketball. She shares an apartment with high school friend, and Lady Flyer volleyball player, Catherine Carriker. She estimates she came to Pinehurst about 20 times with her sisters who were also golfers.
At last fall's NCHSAA 1A/2A State Championships held at Foxfire Resort she tied for 11th place following a 12th place finish in the same event held at Long Leaf Golf and Country Club as a junior.
"I know my way around here," she said. "I guess you could say it was almost like a second home. There is no better place than Pinehurst to work on your game."
Having devoted a lot of time to basketball during her youth, Marovich has a big upside when it comes to golf. At 6-feet tall, one of the things she has worked hard on is maintaining her posture.
"Danielle really hasn't concentrated on golf like she's doing now and you can already see a big difference," Pike said. "Cutter Creek is a pretty tough golf course so the 79 was a good score."
Sophomore Parker Watson led the Lady Flyers in scoring in six of their tournaments last spring as well as at last week's Converse College Fall Invite held in Spartanburg, S.C. The Smithfield-Selma High School graduate finished in a tie for seventh place with scores of 76-81-157. The team finished eighth in the field of 10.
"It meant a lot to me," she said of the top 10 finish. "I've really worked hard this summer and it feels good to finally have it pay off. I'd really like to start shooting to my full potential which is probably mid-70's. That's my goal and I think I can do it."
Sophomore Amanda Hill was second for the Flyers at Cutter Creek after rounds of 87-86-173. Like Watson, she has national championship experience behind her. A product of Orange High School, she finished 57th in the field of 120 golfers at the event held in Braselton. Georgia last May. According to Pike she is the team's best putter.
"Amanda is working hard," the coach said. "She has all the tools. She will definitely be shooting some good scores before the year is out."
The fourth member of the team is Alicia Dunlap who is in her third year at Sandhills after changing her major from nursing to early childhood development. She is currently working as a teacher assistant at Merry Hearts Preschool in Aberdeen and is playing her first competitive golf.
"The first tournament was rough, but the second day was a lot better," she said. "The best part is being able to see progress."
Asked what she needed to work on the most Parker responded, "Short game, short game, short game. The 76 could have been even better. So that's what I'll be concentrating on for the next two weeks before our next tournament."
And that was the focus on this day as assistant coaches Bonnie McGowan and Donna Andrews of the Pine Needles teaching staff worked with the ladies.
"Most people can take more shots off their game by working on the short game," said Andrews, a former UNC All-American who has six LPGA titles, including a major on her list of credits. "I would say this team is probably more dedicated to their golf
games than teams we've had in the past. Most of them want to go on to Division I golf so they are more motivated to improve their games."
The Lady Flyers did not qualify for the national tournament as a team last season, but Watson, Hill and Danielle Washburn made it as individuals. The 2018 tournament will be held at Longbow Golf Club in Mesa, Arizona. It is a 72-hole event.
"I'd love to go to nationals again," Watson said. "It was an awesome experience. It was a lot of golf and it definitely tests you mentally and physically."
The next tournament is the Myrtle Beach Intercollegiate at Panther's Run on October 2-3.
C.Bergmann