Although the Athens Drive women’s golf team only consists of seven members, the team is making their mark with an excellent finish to their 2024 season. The team placed second in their first match of the season in a particularly challenging course, and Susan McGraw, team co-captain, has even higher hopes for the team as the season continues.

“It was a very successful match, and that’s not an easy course to play. For two of our girls, it was their first match and It’s a tricky course but they finished the match, they persevered, and I’m really proud of them for that,” said McGraw.

McGraw shared her excitement surrounding the team’s new golf bags, which sport the Athens Drive logo as well as a blue camo print.

“We finally get to have more team wear together, and it makes us feel more together,” said McGraw.

In golf, the team works together to achieve a group score that will place their team against other schools by each getting individual scores on a course. Not only does the women’s team work to improve their own scores, but they also aim to help each other improve in order to succeed as a team.

“I’m excited to see growth in the other players, as well as myself,” said Paige Tallent, co-captain.

Tallent highlights how the team has seven members this season, which is more than she’s seen in her time playing for Athens. She’s excited for the potential of the team. She shared her excitement for the Athens Drive home match, which happened to be one of the last in the conference schedule. The home game was held at Lochmere’s golf course Oct. 1, and resulted in the first first place win of the season. The team looks forward to enjoying their last few matches of the season; for McGraw and fellow senior teammate Sydney Atkinson, that means making the best of their last senior season match.

“We’ve got two seniors so we’ll be using their strength for the remainder of the season, and then we have a couple of sophomores and juniors, so we’re set for the next couple of years,” said Kerri-Ann Ruthven, coach.

Both Athens Drive golf teams rely on partnerships with Lochmere’s golf course, so in the event of adverse weather, practice can get tricky. 

“One of the things we have had to do is adapt…this year we had to have tryouts indoors and one of the things that was really great about the team is how flexible they were and really communicated with us,” said McGraw. 

McGraw is confident in the future of the women’s golf team. As the 2024 women’s golf season begins to wrap up, she reflects on the four years she’s had with the team and the direction they will continue to go without her.

“What I really like about our team this year is how open we are to learning and adapting and growing. It’s just really fun how we feed off of each other’s motivation,” said McGraw. “We have more girls on the team this season, there’s gonna be more people playing in the future years too.”

Beyond the team’s improvement, McGraw shares her appreciation for Coach Ruthven, and her commitment to the team.

“It’s not easy being a coach, and she has done a magnificent job at it. Ruthven has been a huge part of my success, and she loves cheering us on,” said McGraw.

As the close of the 2024 season draws near, the team will continue to carry remarkable spirit into next year’s efforts.

“We truly love the game, which has brought us together,” said McGraw. “The heart of the team hasn’t changed, it has been and always will be a place for us to golf together, have fun, and become better people.”