Lady Outlaws golf squad wins season opener in wild weather

The Lady Outlaw golf team defeated Madras and Stayton in their first tournament of the season on Thursday, March 20.

Central Oregon threw every kind of weather at the golfers: sun; rain; snow; sleet; and hail, but the wild weather didn't daunt the Outlaws.

Sisters finished with a score of 346, 205 strokes ahead of Madras. Stayton played with an incomplete team.

Lindsay Reeve finished two over par at 74 to earn medalist honors. Reeves scored a 36 on the front nine and 38 on the back, highlighted by an eagle on the 14th hole.

"Lindsay is striking the ball very well," said Coach Mary Flande. "Her off-season work really paid off today. She played well and stayed focused the entire round."

Ocean Powell also turned in a solid performance carding an 89 for the round. Flande told The Nugget that Powell came on strong on the back nine.

Shelby Ross carded a 91 in the match, and Alexis Wainwright and Claire Mutchler finished just one stroke back at 92.

"Shelby, Alexis and Claire all played very consistent. All three of these girls were able to string a few pars together at one time to account for their solid scores for the round. This was a personal best for Claire in tournament golf," said Flande.

Meghan Crowder (93), Emily Rawls (100) and Stephanie Cole (108) also played in the tournament, but their scores were not counted.

Coach Flande was very proud of her players.

"Many of these girls put in a lot of time in the off-season, and it is showing early in the season," she said. "The girls battled all day and turned in a very good team score at the end of the match. I was also pleased with the play of Meghan (Crowder), Emily (Rawls) and Stephanie (Cole). The team is working hard each week, and I know the players will take a close look at their game and continue to work hard to improve."

All five players from last year's squad return to the girls golf team this year. They are seniors Wainwright, Crowder and Mutchler and juniors Reeve and Ross, who will anchor a strong team. The Lady Outlaws' goal for the season is to win the district tournament and earn a berth to the state championships.

Reeve is Sisters' No. 1 golfer. She is the defending district champion and was a top-10 finisher at state last year.

"Lindsay has really put in her time during the off-season and has elevated her game. She is more confident in her shot, and her leadership on this team will be very important. Lindsay has the potential to have a stellar season this year," said Coach Flande.

Wainwright returns for her fourth season as a varsity player. Wainwright had a career best at the state tournament last year and finished in the top 10.

Crowder will return for her third year on the varsity squad. Crowder finished seventh for the Outlaws at district last year and had a career best at the state tourney.

"Meghan's game really started to come together toward the end of the season last year," said Flande. "She's put in a lot of time in the off-season and she has a great swing. Senior leadership will be a strength that Meghan will bring to this team."

Mutchler returns for her second season on the varsity team.

"Claire gained very valuable experience over last season and really worked on her game in the off-season," said Flande. "Claire's dedication and determination to become a better golfer will be her biggest strength. I couldn't ask for a harder worker, and leading by example is what Claire brings to the team. You can't coach heart, and Claire demonstrates this every day at practice."

Ross returns as a third year varsity player. Ross also had a career best at the state tournament last year and finished in the top seven at district.

Junior Emily Rawls and senior Ocean Powell join the varsity squad this year. Rawls was a swing player last season and the leader on the junior varsity team. Powell is a transfer from Eugene.

"I think the biggest strength of this team will be the returning experience from last year's team. All of these kids have played a lot of golf and have the desire to get better and improve as a team," said Flande. "As with most teams we still need to improve on our short game, chipping and putting. And we need to continue to work on the mental aspect of the game as well."

The Lady Outlaws will play at the Bend Country Club on March 31 and then at Tokatee on April 1.