As the summer comes to a close, many girls golf teams across Chatham County will hit the links in the coming weeks to display the diverse talent found in the Piedmont area. From the consistent play of Northwood to the rise of second-year program Seaforth, there are many headlines worth watching heading into this season.
Just two years removed from the modified spring season impacted by COVID-19, golfers have started to acclimate themselves back into the normalcy of high school athletics.
“Last year coming off of the COVID year, that was my first normal season,” Northwood senior Lillian Jordan said. “It was very interesting to be a part of a competitive atmosphere again.”
The revival of the competitive spirit generated success for many teams. Lillian Jordan represented Northwood at the 2021 NCHSAA 3A state championships, while the Chatham Central Bears and Woods Charter Wolves each won their respective conference tournaments. With most squads returning key golfers from last season, similar results should be expected this fall.
Fresh off her team’s Mid-Carolina conference title in 2021, Chatham Central head coach Lynda Burke has her sights set on winning back-to-back league championships. With the return of three seniors — Reagan Mize, Jaylee Williams and Ashton Wilks — the Bears boast one of the most experienced rosters in the state.
But sometimes talent beats out experience, and Seaforth retained last year’s player of the year in the Mid-Carolina Conference in sophomore Avery Fauth. Led by Fauth’s 50.3 nine-hole average, the Hawks earned four first-place finishes in the program’s inaugural season.
With a full year under the tutelage of head coach Landon Jones’ belt, Seaforth is primed to take the next step forward. Junior Jenna Thompson and sophomore Ellie Johnson also return to the Hawks, so an improvement from last year’s third-place conference finish is within the realm of possibility.
At the 3A level, Northwood bolsters a state-championship qualifier in Jordan, who placed seventh in last year’s competition. Though rostering a high-level player may appear enough for the Chargers to repeat as Central Conference champions, head coach Mack Herndon has had his hands full this offseason.
“Right now (Jordan) is just the whole team — we’re having trouble getting some girls out there to have a complete team,” he said. “We’re working on it and have two or three girls that we are trying to get organized and get with us.”
Even so, the second-year coach for the Chargers is confident he’ll fulfill the statewide requirement of three girls to roster a full team, With Jordan leading the charge, Northwood should be in good hands.
“Lillian is the best player in the county, and she’s one of the best players in the state,” Herndon said. “She really works at her game and she’s an outstanding student and person.”
Another team looking to repeat as conference champions is Woods Charter, which took home first place in the Central Tar Heel 1A conference tournament last year.
Spearheaded by junior Elise Taylor and senior Shaye Phillips, the Wolves will be a force to be reckoned with in the 1A ranks. Taylor’s 46.4 average on nine-hole rounds stood as one of the best marks in Chatham County, and combined with Phillips’ experience, Woods Charter will look to repeat the same success it had last year.
Chatham Charter also returns its best competitor from last season with Mackenzie Crossman (42.3 average on nine-hole rounds) coming back for her junior season.
With the season just weeks away, coaches and golfers alike eagerly anticipate the return to competition and renewal of golf’s camaraderie.
“Golf is a competitive sport but it’s also a really good way for girls to come together and bond over something that is so meaningful to all of us,” Jordan said.