On March 26 and 27, the Tiger golf team traveled to Gladewater, Texas to compete in the UIL District tournament at Tempest Golf Club.The team was hot and ready to go after playing both days over the weekend in a non-UIL related golf tournament, meaning the six walked 18 holes for four straight days. 

“Playing four straight days of tournament golf definitely helped to get me more comfortable playing in a tournament mindset,” sophomore John Patterson said. “It is very important to be able to have that mindset because it is different than just playing with friends. I feel like the last four days have helped prepare my game to get ready to [help] the team advance.”

After the first day, the team was ahead by 40 strokes, with senior Carter Maneth leading at four under par and sophomore Thomas curry trailing by one. The boys were loose and confident heading into the competition and eager for another gold medal.

“I was feeling good about District [because] we have a good team, and we just have fun playing together,” senior Carter Maneth said. 

Over the two days, the weather was moderately warm and very windy. This made the rounds more difficult for the team.

“The conditions were tougher because there was a lot of wind,” junior Jack Wilson said. “Wind can be very tough during a golf round. I have a very high ball flight, so it’s harder to play in tough winds, but I feel like I did a very good job of playing, despite the obstacle.”

Despite the challenges, the experience was beneficial for the team, teaching them valuable lessons which will be useful in the next stage.

“I found an extra gear I didn’t really know I had to get the ball in the hole,” Maneth said. “That’s the main thing that I’m going to take with me for anything I do in the future is that your mind is more powerful than you think. I figured out how to get into a zone.”

Going into the second round, Maneth and Curry were one shot apart from the individual district title. In the end, Curry prevailed, shooting a 69 leaving him with a total score of 138. Maneth placed second individually with a total score of 141. 

“My strategy for today was just to remain focused and take one shot at a time,” Curry said. “Yes I did put some pressure on myself because I wanted to go out there and have a chance to win on those last nine holes, and luckily I hit the right shots at the right time to get it done.”

The team won first as a whole, giving no other teams a chance at the title. The Tigers had a total two day score of 586. Mount Pleasant shot a team score of 653 after two days, placing them at second, and Hallsville placed third with a team score of 662. The top three in District advanced to Regionals held at Rockwall Golf and Athletic club in April. 

“Going into Regionals, I have a mindset to try my hardest on every shot whether I know we will win by 50 shots or come in dead last,” Patterson said. “I always want to give my best effort to help our team whether my score ends up counting or not. I will never let not giving 100% of my effort on every shot be the reason that we fail.”