The 2024 women’s golf team traveled throughout central NC to play their CPC 4A matches. Along the way, these girls made memories, friendships, and experiences that they will never forget, including making history by fielding a whole team that would travel down to Pinehurst, NC, to play the yearly regional tournament.
Starting at Oak Valley, their home course, these ladies knew the season would be one to remember. Countless hours of work on the range, on the course, and in private lessons helped everyone succeed, that and having each other. The whole team had a special bond that could not be broken, from the seniors taking the underclassmen out for snow cones to other girls driving countless miles just to be able to practice.
Making History
The most highlighted part of the season was going to regionals. This was the first year that the women’s golf team fielded a whole team to take down to Long Leaf Country Club to participate in this matchup. The girls who made the trip were seniors Kate Sakai, Reese Ward, Callie Wisecarver, junior Kori Bailey, and sophomore Gwynyth Swan.
This season marked senior Kate Sakai’s 2nd trip to the regional tournament. Her game showed notable improvement this year, growth she attributed to her hard work and diligence.
“My game became a lot more consistent, and I didn’t let my anger control me,” Sakai said. “I ended up showing up to practice 30 minutes early to work on my putting.”
Gwynyth Swan also emphasized the mental strength you have to have in golf. “I learned not to be hard on myself and remind myself that I’m playing against myself and previous scores and not other players.”
Even though no one had the opportunity to advance to states, every one of those 5 girls now knows they are a part of Davie County Women’s Golf history.
Milestones and Memorable Moments
Beyond the trip to regionals, this season of women’s golf was filled with a number of milestones. At some point this season, every single girl on the team scored a new personal best during a match. Gwynyth Swan shot her lowest score of 37 at Tanglewood, and Kori Bailey and Kate Sakai both scored in the 30s on multiple occasions.
But despite these excellent performances, the significance of the season went beyond the numbers. Each of the girls had a number of other memories and favorite moments that stood out for them more than any score could.
“My favorite memory is when we were all thanking Beyonce during our daily putting contest,” Sakai said.
Other memories may not have only stayed in their minds, but left behind physical markings. Senior Kayden Cornatzer remembers moments of pain at practice that may have hurt at the time but bring a smile to her face now.
“My favorite memory is seeing who would fall at practice because it would always be someone different every day,” Cornatzer said. “One time, I even scraped my entire leg from falling on gravel while out with the team.”
Even though the season has come to an end, the team agrees this has been the best year of their high school career. There are 5 seniors on the team this year, leaving only 3 girls behind for next season, but with the experiences they have, it would not be premature to predict that these girls are going to do great things in the years to come. On top of that, they will continue to be coached by the man who encouraged these girls to go as far as they did: Mr. Bob Donley.
Next year, returning members Kori Bailey, Gwynyth Swan, and Emma Jones will continue to grow as players and rebuild the team. If all goes well, they may even take another trip down to Pinehurst.
