by Dylan Lewis ‘27

In a year with little seniority and a large sophomore and junior presence on the roster, Sherwood golf has overcome any inexperience to have a great season on the course. Finishing in second place in the district tournament on October 5, the team now looks ahead to the UMD Golf Club, where they will play in the state championship on October 26. Sophomores Palmer Freed, Grant Pugh and Jack Henry, and junior Frankie Singleton qualified to compete as a group as they look to bring the program their first team championship since 1994.

The district tournament, which took place on October 5, was one to remember for the golf program. The Warriors as a whole placed second, shooting a 325, finishing 10 strokes  behind Whitman. Freed excelled on the day and finished in second place, shooting a 74. Pugh followed Freed, completing his match with a final score of 81, nestled in a three-way tie for eighth place. Henry finished in a five-way tie for tenth place, shooting an 83, and Singleton also finished in a five-way tie for fourteenth place, shooting an 87. Freed, Pugh, and Henry finished under the cutline of 83 strokes and will also compete for the individual state title.

“Palmer, Grant, and Jack all competed at states a year ago as freshmen, so the experience of playing in a state tournament and knowledge of the course should be helpful,” said Coach Kevin Andre. “Frankie has had a tremendous season and his game is ready for the state tournament. We’re hoping to improve on our team’s 7th place finish a year ago and win the state title. The three individuals have shown all season that they can post a low score to be in the mix for an individual state title as well.” 

Historically, the golf team has typically started off slow and gotten better over the course of the season, having more preparedness and comfort at the district and state level. Sherwood has made this story true on their road to states this year, showing gradual improvement over each of their matches. On September 1, the Warriors faced off against Churchill, Blair, and Whitman, where they shot a 158, coming in third place. The team moved up the ranks in their second match, coming in second place behind Churchill, shooting a 162. Just after that, the team earned their first finish in the top spot in a match against Wootton, Damascus, and Blair, putting up their best total score of 154.