An experienced Lady Bulldog golf team will tee off a new season next week.
Led by coach Christi Sanders the Lady Dawgs will begin competition with senior leadership and some new faces on the team.
After losing only one senior and gaining two freshmen, the core of the team is still intact and ready for tournament play.
“We’ve added some depth to our team, and we feel really good about the way we are playing right now,” Sanders said. “Right now we are in an in-season conditioning program led by Nick Brett that is playing a big part in getting our players ready for the season.”
Last year’s team-MVP Beth Irwin returns for her senior season after leading the Dawgs in top 10 finishes last year.
“Beth is the leader of this team, the way she carries herself and her steady play has earned the respect of her teammates and we’re counting on her,” said Sanders.
Irwin and the rest of the team think the training program will pay dividends.
“Right now Nick has us doing a lot of core strength exercises. We’ve really been working our abs and mid-section, which is really getting us prepared for the season,” Irwin said. “We’ve been doing crunches with a medicine ball and throwing a medicine ball from our golf stance which really works the abdominal muscles.”
Irwin said the training should improve the drive distance and power for each player.
“We’re also going to start training with weights to help make us stronger,” Irwin added.
Also returning is Amanda Mathis. The junior from Picayune hopes to contribute to the team early and often.
“I felt really good about the way I played over the summer and I hope that will carry over to my play this fall and bring my stroke average down,” Mathis said. “I’m looking forward to fine-tuning my swing and competing in the first tournament.”
The Lady Bulldogs begin their season Sept. 19 in Tuscaloosa, Ala., at the Alabama/Ann Rhoads Intercollegiate Tournament.
The tournament is hosted by the University of Alabama and will be played at the Ol’ Colony Golf Club.
“We want to take one tournament at a time and not put any special significance on any single tournament. Every tournament is important and we want to do our best in all of them,” said Sanders.
For Irwin, it might be broken down into even smaller steps.
“I want to continue to get better and try to focus on every shot,” she said.