Both golf teams will conclude play at the Sunshine State Conference Championship today. The women have won it the previous two years, while the men won it last year. They are both ranked second in the nation, and are hoping to walk away as conference champions.
The women finished in second place in their previous competition, and the team that won the competition was a Division I opponent. Amanda Brown, head coach, said she’s confident the team has what it takes to succeed at the tournament, but they will be facing tough opposition. There are five other teams from the conference who are ranked in the top ten.
“The SSC Championship is always very competitive in women’s golf,” said Brown. “The National Championship team has come from the SSC for the last ten years or more. In many ways, it’s a great test heading into the South Regional and nationals.”
Brown said the key for the team to win at conference for the third year in a row will be avoiding big numbers and having a solid performance from all four golfers. Three of her golfers are individually ranked in the top five.
“Having three of the nation’s top five girls on the team is a huge advantage. No other team can come close to it. But we need all four scores to be solid for a win,” said Brown.
Meanwhile, the men will be looking to secure consecutive conference championships. Ben Taylor, sophomore golfer, was confident the team could accomplish this. He said the team was maturing at the right time and was up to the task.
“[Winning two years in a row] would be very motivational,” said Taylor. “We all know that we are one of the favorites for conference and to win two years in a row would without doubt be a huge boost going into regionals and nationals.”
Taylor felt the best thing that could happen to the team is a strong start.
“Our highest advantage would be to get off to a fast start on day one. This is because our best rounds are always our last, so to be in contention from the start will certainly prove vital to how we do,” he said.
