BUCS WOMEN’S GOLF BRINGS TALENT TO THE COURSE IN 2021

The Blinn College women’s golf team is eager to see how far they can go in 2021.

The Buccaneers’ first season was cut short last year due to COVID-19, but the first-year program was on track to finish strong. In the last tournament of the year, the Tyler Junior College (TJC) Spring Invitational, the Buccaneers were ranked 12th in the nation and captured their first individual win.

This year, Blinn has plans to pick up where they left off and has their heart set on nationals.

“The women’s golf team has a goal of getting to the national tournament and we have a good chance of getting there,” head coach David Johnson said. “The team chemistry is really good and having confidence and believing in each other is a good quality to have. We are really excited to get back on the course.”

The Buccaneers return one sophomore in Cheyenne Sowda (Conroe). Sowda placed in the top 15 in three fall tournaments last season. Her lowest round was an 83 at the TJC Fall Invitational, and her best finish was a tie for 11th place at the University of Houston-Victoria Fall Classic.

“Sowda has experience at the college level and knows what is going to be expected of her on the course,” Johnson said. “She is a good player and has good course management, so it will be exciting to see where she can go.”

Freshmen Madilynn Goad (Sealy), Leyah Wilson (Kingsland), Katelyn Foster (San Marcos), Alexis Graham (Clyde), and Brill Wise (Clifton) join the Buccaneers.

“We have added players who are competitors and that we knew would put their best foot forward on every shot and every hole,” Johnson said. “The freshman class has talent and once we figure out how to take that talent from the driving course to the golf course we will be in good shape. They are all hard working and I think each one will rise to the occasion.”

Goad played on the Texas Junior Golf Tour, Prestige Tour, and for the Southern Texas PGA. She was a member of the Sealy High School golf team, where she qualified for the state tournament in 2018 and the regional tournament in 2016-2019.

Wilson was a West Texas Junior Champions Tour member and earned first-team all-district honors at Llano High School. She was a 14-time individual medalist from 2017-2021 and a third-place individual medalist in the district tournament in 2019. She placed in the top 10 in the regional tournament in 2019.

Foster played for Southern Texas PGA and was a member of the San Marcos High School golf team where she earned all-district and all-region honors. Graham earned all-district, all-region, and all-state honors at Clyde High School in 2019, while Wise earned all-district honors in golf at Clifton High School.

“We have a lot of new faces with only one returning player, so it is going to be a new adventure for everyone,” head coach David Johnson said. “I am just excited for them to have an opportunity to get out there and play. All we can do is play one shot at a time, one hole at a time, and one tournament at a time, and see where our adventure goes.”

The men's and women's golf teams will open the season at the Pinecrest Country Club Invitational March 7-9.

For more information, visit www.buccaneersports.com.

(COURTESY: Tara Dreyer, Blinn Information)