The girls golf team placed 11 in the Swing for the Cure tournament at Brackenridge Golf Course in San Antonio Sept. 27-28.
Swing For the Cure is an annual charity golf tournament where teams across Texas compete and raise awareness for breast cancer. Each team contributes a donation to enter, with the funds raised going to support teachers battling breast cancer.
“It’s a great thing they do,” captain Layla Horton said. “A lot of people tear up during the ceremonies, and it’s thoughtful.”
The varsity black team placed 11 out of 16 teams this weekend. The golf teams’ fall season is used as preparation for the spring competitions, in which the team will compete in the district tournament. Before this, the team competed at previous competitions, with senior Stalee Fields placing a third at the Heart of Texas Invitational and the team placing third at the Lovejoy Invitational.
“We’ve been doing a lot of qualifying to determine teams and where the kids fit this year,” head coach Jeff Fields said. “From this point, we’ll be preparing the kids based on their stats, focusing on areas like short game or ball striking they can improve upon.”
Before the tournament, all the teams gather on a putting green for a ceremony. The coach hosting the event addresses the players, recognizing the competitive field and acknowledging those who have been affected by breast cancer. As donations are announced, there’s a moment of silence to honor the coaches lost to cancer.
“It’s special,” Stalee said. “This is my fourth and last year going. There are some coaches I know personally who are going through cancer, so it’s amazing to see the community come together.”
Over the three rounds, Stalee recorded scores of 71, 78 and 68. Horton finished with scores of 75, 79, and 83, marking her personal best in the tournament.
“There are a lot of opportunities out there,” Stalee said. “I struggled a bit without my usual length off the tee box. There were a few mistakes and I had a bad stretch in my second round that threw me off.”
The team completed 54 holes over two days, 36 on the first day and 18 on the second. The team will take a break before their next tournament, the State Preview in November, followed by the district competition in the spring.
“Playing in two of the best tournaments in the state is a great way to prepare for district competition in the spring,” coach Fields said. “We’re competing against some of the best teams in the state, but we have a lot of positives to build on. I’m proud of the girls for competing hard at Swing for the Cure. We’ve pinpointed areas we can improve upon, and I’m looking forward to seeing how we progress.”
