Placing the ball on the tee, practicing the swing, and then the ball making contact with the golf club is a feeling that golfer Audrey Roberts knows well. Roberts, a freshman at Plant High School, has been playing golf for 10 years. This experience has allowed her to find consistency in a sport where steadiness is essential for professional play.
At 15 years old, Roberts plays in the first seed position for the Plant girls golf team, meaning she has the lowest scoring average on the team. Her average score through nine holes of golf is 42, which is six shots above par or shooting “even.”
Typically, shooting “even” on a golf course means the player neither shoots above par nor under par. On most golf courses, shooting “even” through nine holes would mean a score of 36, and on 18 holes, a score of 72.
Roberts’ average score of 42 through nine holes may be above par or “even,” but the average 15-year-old golfer shoots 43 on a regular basis, putting Roberts ahead of many competitors.
Although Roberts just began her high school career, she has emphasized that her sights are set on a college commitment.
“I would like to go to the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Vanderbilt University, or the University of Alabama for golf,” Roberts said. “Getting an athletic scholarship to college is what makes me want to keep playing.”
To commit to a Division I university for golf, Roberts set a goal for herself to achieve by the end of her freshman season.
“This season, my goal is to break 40 three times,” Roberts explained.
“Breaking” a score means to finish a round of golf with a lower score than the stated number. In Roberts’ case, her goal of “breaking” 40 means playing a round of 39 or lower through nine holes. Roberts recently broke 40 for the first time this season, taking a step closer to achieving her goal.
With a home course at Palma Ceia Country Club in Tampa, Fla., Roberts plays golf about four times a week and has access to a practice putting green, chipping green, and iron range, as well as a full 18-hole course.
Despite golf being an individual sport in the professional atmosphere, at high school and collegiate levels, athletes are scored on both an individual and a team scale.
For instance, a player can win a golf tournament as an individual, but a team win would only be gained by combining the four lowest scores shot by its respective players.
The Plant girls golf team consists of eight girls: five seniors, two juniors, and one freshman (Roberts). Regardless of being the youngest player on the team, Roberts has established a close relationship with the other girls on the team.
“There is a great atmosphere for the girls on the golf team; everyone is so sweet and supportive,” Roberts said. “My favorite thing about being on the team is getting to hang out with the girls.”
Even though she is the newest player on the team, Roberts has already formed close relationships with some of her teammates, such as seniors Serena Kernagis and Millie Thompson. Kernagis is currently captain of the girls golf team, and after being on the team for four years, Kernagis has established solid relationships with her teammates, including Roberts.
“My favorite thing about having Audrey on the golf team is the positivity she brings to everyone around her,” Kernagis commented. “She is constantly making the team laugh and always smiling. She’s a valuable member of the team, and it wouldn’t be the same without her.”