Low in numbers, Warrior golf team forging ahead toward lofty goals
Published 4:16 pm Monday, August 7, 2023
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Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Happy Valley golf coach Gene Renfro believes that the key for this year's small team is to play consistently during the season and peak by the time the district and regional tournaments roll around.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Members of the 2023 Happy Valley golf team include: (L-R) Colton Pemberton, Cayden Anderson, Grace Hollifield, and head coach Gene Renfro.
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STAR CORRESPONDENT
It has been said that big things come in small packages and that saying couldn’t fit anything any better than the Happy Valley Warrior golf team who fields only three players but each player has the quality of play needed to make some noise when the district and regional tournaments come in September.
Head coach Gene Renfro feels like his team of three juniors possesses the quality of play needed to be in the mix when that time comes.
“This is a great group of juniors,” said Renfro. “They have been with me all three years since the program restarted. They are great kids in the classroom and on the course and I couldn’t ask for a better group as they give their all every time that we go out there.”
The team is headed up by two-time regional qualifier Cayden Anderson along with Grace Hollifield to make up the girls side while Colton is the lone boy participant.
“Anderson is a two-time regional qualifier and we are expecting great things from her,” said Renfro. “She shows the potential to make it a third straight trip this year. Hollifield had some surgery on her hands and that has helped with her strength and she has just blown through her career bests in first two matches. Pemberton, in the first event of the year at the Johnson City Country Club, went out there and shot a 79. We know it’s there so if he can put it all together there is a chance for him to qualify for regionals as well.”
Renfro is optimistic of what his three players can achieve if they remain focused and don’t let the little mistakes force other errors down the road.
“The potential is there for this team to do great things,” the Warrior coach said. “I just think that playing in that invitational a couple of weeks ago and seeing that level of competition – teams like Rockvale and Dobyns-Bennett – state level teams is just going to help them see what they need to do to get to that level, so I am just excited for what the season entails.”
Golf is much like other sports in the fact that you don’t want to come out of the starting gates too fast and wither as the season plays on.
“It’s just about peaking there at the district because the first matches of the year really don’t matter – it’s all about the district tournament,” said Renfro. “It comes down to one day in September and if you are hot, you are hot and if you are not, then you are not. It’s the top three teams and top five individuals. Everybody knows that and they have been in the district tournament for the last two years.”
