In their first year at Parker, the girls golf team made school history by winning their first regional tournament and advancing to sectionals as a team.
Last year, co-founders junior Fiona Chazen and sophomore Annabel Kutcher both played on the Coed varsity golf team. However, Chazen said, “we believed that we shouldn’t have to keep playing against boys and wanted to have a team where we can best thrive.” Creating a girls golf team “opens up so many more opportunities that we believe girls deserve to have,” Chazen said.
This year, Parker has two separate golf teams: an all-girls team and an all-boys team. Junior Leighton Lacey believes the all-girls team expands players’ possibilities . “The opportunity of having an all girls team gives us a chance to play in more tournaments and games,” Lacey said. “Having an all girls team also can allow other girls who might be new to golf join without any pressure.”
Since Chazen and Kutcher founded the team, four girls, both experienced and new to the game, have joined. The six girls practiced over the summer, during preseason, and everyday after school.
“We’re working on bettering our game by working on our technique… [and] figuring out ways that we can navigate the course better,” Chazen said. The team has also further familiarized themselves with the courses, how to strategize and go about each round, and their mental part of the game.
Girl’s golf has played in nine matches this year, and now has a record of 6-3. At regionals, the team placed first overall, winning by five strokes. Another highlight included beating Latin at their homecoming match by 14 strokes.
In order to prepare for their next step in the season, the team drove out the weekend before regionals to Joliet where the tournament was being held. There they practiced hitting shots on the greens, took notes on the course, and “figure[d] out what we would need to do if you play better than that at regionals,” Chazen said.
Girl’s golf placed first at regionals by five strokes. As individuals, Kutcher placed second, and Chazen placed sixth.
Reflecting on the win, Chazen shared her excitement: “It feels so amazing. I’m so proud of the team. I never felt like this, like a team, especially so new could do as well as we have.” She continued, “I’m honestly in awe, in shock.”
Most recently, the team drove to Forest Hills Country Club in Rockford to repeat a similar process, prepare, and compete in their sectional tournament. While the team did not make it to state, Kutcher made it as an individual and ended up placing tenth in the state.
As for the future of the Girls golf team, Chazen said, “I hope that it looks like other girls carrying on what we’ve started. I hope the other girls continue to play golf and continue to carry on with this team and just play their hardest and try their best and have fun.“That’s honestly, that’s why we play golf, and I think that’s part of the reason we’ve been doing so well. We really bond as a team, and we have a lot of fun together.”
