Rebecca Goldman helped pace the Thomson High Lady Bulldogs past seven other teams from across Georgia in the inaugural Lady Bears' Golf Invitational hosted by Burke County High School and played at Applewood Golf Course near Waynesboro last Saturday.
Goldman, a senior, ended up shooting a 2 over par 74 to win low medalist honors. It marked a career-best. Her teammate, Sara Blackmon-Hughes, meanwhile, shot an 86 to help the Lady Bulldogs capture the tournament. Her younger sister, Grace Blackmon-Hughes, also participated.
As a team, Thomson shot an overall score of 160 and won by eight strokes over the closest challenging team from Effingham County. Six other teams trailed that team.
They included: Glynn Academy, Statesboro, Dalton, South Effingham County, Effingham County - all Class AAAA schools - as well as Burke County and Hart County - both Class AAA schools, like Thomson.
Thomson High Coach John Barnett said he was pleased with his team's success in last weekend's tournament. He also talked about the team's chances of making it back to the region and state playoffs this year. "I like the work ethics of this team," Coach Barnett said. "We need to be more consistent, but golf is truly a sport in which every day is a new day. It's not unusual to see huge variations in scores by professionals from round to round - so high school kids are certainly going to battle consistency."
Earlier this season, while playing against the Greenbrier Lady Wolf Pack at Bartram Trail Golf Club in Columbia County, Thomson didn't play as well.
"We had a mediocre day," Coach Barnett lamented.
Down the road, the veteran Thomson varsity girls' golf coach believes his team will fair well in the region tournament and make it into the state tournament. Such won't happen, however, without steady improvement by the three players that make up the team between now and then.
"How well we do at region simply depends on how on we are that day," Coach Barnett said. "Then, if we are able to qualify for the state, we will have one more chance to practice at Applewood before the state tournament."
Franklin County, the defending Class AAA Girls' State Champions, are considered the favorite team again this season, mainly because they have the same team members returning, Coach Barnett added.
