As weeks go by, and matchplay continues, the Lady Kings’ Golf Team slowly begins wrapping up their short, month-long season. Throughout the past few years, the Lady Kings have gone through multiple conference changes, new teams joining, and some leaving. New players join, the top five lineup changes, and more things improve, as well as the list of things to do increases. Many players claim 18-hole tournaments require much dedication and focus, which is a skill needed to simply have patience for the game of golf.
The Three Rivers Conference tournament is not only a “warm-up” for the sectional, but also something to help girls realize what they need to improve, to help them throughout the 18-hole round of golf. Although the sectional and TRC matches are not at the same location or with the same teams, girls still get a look at how the sectional is going to play out and what they should expect. The TRC tournament was quite successful for the Lady Kings this past Saturday. Head coach, Amy Densborn, talked about her expectations going into the TRC tournament. She mentioned, “My expectations going into the TRC last Saturday were to finish in the top five. We ended up with a sixth-place finish. Unfortunately, Saturday was a terrible day for golf. Rain showers and lightning strikes did not make for ideal conditions.” The weather had a huge impact on not only the course but also the way the girls were playing. Many encountered issues with wet ground, affecting their shots, or slower greens, making it harder to read certain greens to ensure successful putts. The rain picked up around 9 a.m., causing an hour delay to the morning group, and when the Lady Kings arrived around 2 p.m., the rain was still going, along with lightning, which delayed their round halfway through. With this being said, some hopes and expectations may be lowered, but through all of the trouble, there were still highlights of this match, even with the dark clouds.
Alisha Toops, a senior who has been on the golf team since her freshman year, ended up placing fifth out of ten All-Conference golfers. Coach Densborn said, “Alisha Toops was 5th in the conference, shooting an 86, Maddy Willis was very close to making All Conference, she was out with a 102. (Junior) Sophie Holmquist also had a great round considering the circumstances.” With the outcome of this season, hopes remain high for the sectional and next year. Alisha Toops talked about her performance and mentioned, “I felt really good with my performance overall at Conference.” She also mentioned, “This year was the best I have done at any tournament since I started playing golf, and compared to the last three conferences I’ve been to, it was very successful.”
Looking at the results of the TRC tournament and the success of the Lady Kings, the sectional this Friday, September 19, is looking good. Coach Densborn said, “I am hoping for a top-five finish on Friday. Chippendale’s course can be difficult at times. Girls need to put their drivers away and focus on their short game come Friday!” The team ended up sixth at Conference, when placed fifth beforehand. Hopefully, the girls can focus on their past mistakes and help improve them, which will help their game increase in skill along the way. Toops mentioned she hopes the team does well and that she can make it out as an individual if the team does not continue.
Overall, the season went well, with the Lady Kings cutting it close to a winning season. Although some matches may not have gone the way the ladies wanted or expected, they kept up great attitudes and worked on improving their mistakes to ensure they could have a better future match. Sectionals for the Lady Kings will be held on Friday, September 19, around 9:45 am at Chippendale Golf Club. The Lady Kings are paired with two high-skilled teams (Kokomo and North Miami), which will hopefully help keep their games up. Congratulations to the Lady Kings for an amazing 2025 season, and best of luck to them this weekend in their sectional play! Go Kings!
