ROGERS — After winning six dual matches, Rogers High girls golf coach Brenda Alexander is looking for good things from the Lady Mounties at the Class 7A State Tournament.
The two-day tournament begins today at Centennial Country Club in Conway. The field will be cut in half after today’s first round. The top eight individuals on teams that don’t make the cut will also advance to the final round.
“We are competing well, and the girls have done some good things,” Alexander said. “They were real focused in our last match with Fayetteville, and I am hoping they will stay focused. I expect us to be right there in the top three or four, and if things fall right for us, you never know.”
Rogers played Centennial last week and Alexander said the Lady Mounties played the course well.
“It’s a pretty tough course, and it played a little longer than normal because it was a little rainy,” Alexander said. “There are holes that are tight and you have to make sure you are hitting the ball straight. The greens are pretty fast, so you don’t want to try and get on top of the hole.”
Abbie Parker will play at No. 1 for Rogers while Morgan Conway will play at No. 2. Both players participated in the state tournament last season.
“Parker has been consistently in the mid 40s, and she has had a 39,” Alexander said. “That’s shows you what she is capable of. If Abbie can keep her focus, I think she will be okay.
“Morgan worked hard in the offseason. She’s had a couple of high scores, but she is basically in the same range as Abbie. Morgan has had a 39, a 41, a 43. She is capable of shooting a good score.”
Taylor Erickson, Cobie Silva and Alyssa Corral round out the Lady Mounties contingent. Only the top three scores count in the team standings.
“Taylor has been in our third spot all year, and she has shown signs of being able to shoot lower scores,” Alexander said. “Cobie is a senior, and I know she wants to do well. She has improved all four years. Alyssa just started playing this year, and she is improving and shooting better scores.”
Most of Rogers’ matches were nine holes, but Alexander said the players are prepared for possibly 36-holes over two days.
“The players that play summer tournaments are used to playing 18 holes and playing rounds back-to-back,” Alexander said. “If you don’t play summer tournaments, it can be a little harder on them.”