Tuscola golfers swing for state championship
Nov. 6—FOXFIRE — Two girls represented Haywood County last week in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 3A Girls Golf State Championships on Oct. 30 and 31 at the Red Course at the Foxfire Resort and Golf Club.
Junior McKenna Williams and freshman Abbey Adams, both Tuscola golfers, battled over two days against the best female golfers in the state.
"As always, it's awesome to be at that point. It's always an exciting moment for them," said Tuscola girls' golf head coach Sean Williams, who is also McKenna's father.
Williams described Foxfire as a challenging course.
"One slight error will penalizer you, whether it be hitting in the rough and you have trees in the way or miss the green and have big lip bunkers. Out of bounds is close to the fairway," he said. "That course is tricky. When you start playing it's like a monster that jumps out and grabs you."
The weather was somewhat cooperative for golf: it was 85 degrees to begin round one but fell to 45 degrees to end round two.
Williams finished 14th overall after shooting 170 (86/84) over two rounds. Adams finished 66th after shooting 198 (100/98).
Williams back at state again
This year was Williams third consecutive state appearance after finishing 12th as a sophomore and 29th as a freshman.
"McKenna is learning a lot about how important it is to keep the ball in play," Williams said. Which side of the fairway to favor, how to stay out of trouble, and being aware of the surroundings. All of those variables will affect your round. If you can stay focused, you will start to see low scores.
Williams said his daughter has been playing competitive golf for four and a half years now, but she is focusing on the small details.
"Those small details get exposed, and you latch onto them to get better," he said.
Williams improved her score in round two, something not all of the top 15 golfers could boast.
"Our goal is always to do better in round two; college coaches like that," Williams said. "McKenna knows the potential to go low is there.
Adams competes as a freshman
Adams experienced her first state championships as a freshman.
"Abbey has a bright future. She's a really good golfer with a great personality," Williams said. "She doesn't get upset and has a great outlook on golf and life."
What most impressed Williams about Adams was her willingness to improve her game.
"Abbey is a girl that you help her with some part of the swing or short game, and she absorbs it and makes sense of it really quick. From the beginning of the season until now, we saw a different Abbey Adams," he said.
Williams recalled a day at the range where he advised Adams about her swing. She stayed after practice to work on it and showed up the next day much improved.
"The whole golf team stopped to watch her hit, and they were amazed at what she was doing," Williams said. "She took on the pressure great. She soaked it in, and it benefitted her so much."
Although Williams and Adams got to compete against the state's best golfers, they're not done yet. Both girls will be hard at work practicing and playing in the offseason.
"Both McKenna and ABbey see their potential. They know the areas they need to work on more consistently," Williams said.
