Richmond golf braves Pinehurst No. 7; boys tie for 2nd, girls finish 3rd

SOUTHERN PINES — Despite favorable weather conditions, the Richmond Senior High School boys and girls golf teams had to brave Pinehurst No. 7 Monday afternoon.

The Rees Jones-designed course is known for its elevation changes, wetlands, forced carries and length, according to Golf Digest. Of the Pinehurst courses, No. 7 is one of the longest, behind only No. 2.

Yet, the Raiders managed to tie for second as a team, and the Lady Raiders finished third at Monday’s conference golf match.

“This was one of those long days on a difficult course, and I am happy both of our groups kept digging throughout our round,” said head coach Keith Parsons.

The boys shot 203, tied with Jack Britt, behind first-place Pinecrest at 147. The girls shot 241 collectively, finishing behind second-place Scotland with 233, and ahead of fourth-place Lumberton at 248.

Individually, Jonathan Rich paced the boys with a 43, followed by Jaxon Mabe with a 51 and Ayden Mabe with a 54. Ethan Brown shot 55, while Will Thompson shot a 58.

“Our boys hung in to tie for second, which is a good result for us,” Parsons said. “It shows the importance of making sure you do your best on every shot, since it helps the team as well as each player. That is a great lesson.”

For the girls, Georgia Grace Anderson continues to lead the way. She shot a 56, while Delaney Driggers and Jamie Sears each shot 61. Angeli Yang and Abigail Tatum both shot a 63.

“The girls improved our score from the previous matches despite the tough conditions,” Parsons said. “Georgia Grace continues to the leader, and Delaney and Jamie posted season-best rounds. Angeli and Abigail also showed improvement, and that will pay off later this season.”