OPEN SEASON: Seymour finishes runners-up, Brownstown Central takes sixth at Shadowood

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In high school girls golf, in Indiana, the players get thrown straight into the fire the first full week of the season.

Despite having fewer than five practices in, the golfers take on their first 18-hole tournament of the season this week. Teams weren’t allowed to start practicing until July 27.

Both Seymour and Brownstown Central completed their first full tournament rounds on Wednesday at Shadowood Golf Course in the annual Seymour Invitational.

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Bedford North Lawrence’s school record of 310 strokes won the invite. Seymour finished runners-up at 380 and Corydon Central placed third with 384. Columbus East finished fourth with 400, followed by Scottsburg (445), Brownstown Central (458) and New Albany (503).

Madison, North Harrison and Orleans didn’t bring enough players to post team scores.

BNL had four of the top five individual scores on the day, which was led by Taylor Norman’s one-over-par 73.

Bridget Marshall led Seymour with 83 strokes, finishing fifth overall. Madeleine Wisler carded 95, Laken Waskom shot a 100, Kara Rice totaled 102 and Lexi York scored 126 for the Owls.

The Owls played about 14 holes on Monday at the Bloomington South Invitational before rain cut the tournament short.

Jim Hoffman, who has coached the boys’ program the past four seasons, is the Owls’ new girls coach. Brian Tidd, who also worked with Hoffman last spring, is the assistant coach for SHS.

“We looked for consistency,” Hoffman said. “We worked on putting and I think it paid off. We were a long way from Bedford, but they were outstanding. They have a great team. This was a good start for us. We saw some improvement in just a couple days. The girls listen really well and react quickly. I think that will bode well for the next few weeks. It’s a quick season, but I think it will be really fun to see these girls improve.”

Hoffman said that the transition as new coach has gone smoothly.

This year’s team features nine players.

“The girls are so easy to get along with,” Hoffman said. “They want to get better, and are really focused. I think all of them are working for the team, which is important. Even though golf is an individual sport, we are playing for the team. They are all pulling for each other.”

Brownstown Central’s girls team is in a similar situation that the boys team found itself in the spring.

While the Braves boast 11 players on the roster, just three players return from last year’s squad. Five of the players are freshmen.

The Braves’ lone senior, KaCee Collins, led the team with a 101 while Ashlyn Fox shot 114, Alexis Satterthwaite had 118 and Lexi York carded 126.

“We really have two practices in,” Allman said on Wednesday. “We had girls working the fair and showing animals last week. We did rules a couple times this week. I had two girls playing their first-ever 18 holes. I’m pretty proud of them, they got a 118 and 126. I think that’s pretty good for two freshman in their first year of playing golf.

“We have a lot of inexperience. It’s good for me because I have a lot to build around. We are starting with fundamentals, but the really positive outlook is we are building a really good foundation.”

Allman, entering his fourth season as the girls’ coach, said he looks forward to teaching more this season and seeing the progression of the players.

“I had a similar situation with the boys this past year,” he said. “This spring was probably my worst year of coaching score-wise, but it was one of the teams that has been more pleasurable to coach. I had to really work with them and saw a lot of improvement as a team. I think that’s what will happen again (this fall).

It makes me have to work on things as a coach. Sometimes we forget about some of the fundamentals — things we take for granted that we already know. It might make me a better coach because it will force me to not overlook anything.”

Both Seymour and Brownstown will compete at the Bedford North Lawrence Invitational on Friday at Otis Park.

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