Smith represents Pulaski well at State Golf Tournament

By Cody Dalton
sports@southwesttimes.com

Madison Smith competed valiantly at the VHSL State Golf Tournament held this past week at the Kempsville Greens Municipal Golf Course in Virginia Beach.

The junior completed two difficult rounds last Monday and Tuesday. On Monday, she teed off at 10:10 a.m. for her opening play at the state level along with Hannah Swenson of Tabb, Nicole Feaster of Heritage (Leesburg) and Jordan Coakley of Stone Bridge.

All of the young ladies competing at the state tournament would hit off of the long white tees, making it even harder to get great scores out of their rounds because of the longer distance.

She would shoot a 96 on the opening day, which placed her third among her group and towards the back end of the leaderboard. Swenson shot an 86 to lead the group, followed by Feaster with a 97. Coakley finished one shot behind Smith with a 97.

“After Monday, Daniel told me to just forget about it after I did really bad on the front nine on the first day,” Smith said. “He told me to go out there and just have fun. Not to worry about it and just play what I could. Dad told me on Monday night that there is no pressure at all and just go out and have fun because pretty much, the winner was already established because she shot even that day.”

Smith used the first day play and the advice of golf coach Daniel Goff and Jimmy, her father, to help to rebound from the opening day disappointment. She would bounce back in a big way, dropping ten strokes from her first day finish with an 86.

That 86 made her final score a 182 and pushed her up the leader board and into the middle of the pack with a forth-fifth place finished. Smith reflected after her state tournament play last week.

“I felt like I could have done better, but my first day around was pretty bad,” Smith said. “Other than that, I was happy with the second day and how I improved.”

Madison’s father Jimmy looked back at her performance at the course and ahead to her next year in golf.

“It was a learning experience going out for the first time like that,” said Jimmy Smith. “I hope that she is able to go back next year for state. I think she will have a large turnaround and a lot of improvement on that because of first day jitters. Even the ones who are in the top ten had trouble the first day.”

Coach Daniel Goff could not be reached for comment on Smith’s performance due to being in California.

As for next season, Smith already has her sites set on a few goals that she would like to accomplish.

“Overall next year, I would like to be in the mid to high 70s and hopefully go back to states and do better,” Madison Smith said. “I want to keep focusing on the putting because when I get under pressure, my putting just breaks down. Somehow, my swing has changed during the season. I want to go back to my old swing because it was smoother and better.”

(11-4-09)