CHALLENGING LAYOUT TESTS ROANE STATE IN FLORIDA GATEWAY SPRING DEBUT

LAKE CITY, Fla. — The Roane State Lady Raiders golf team opened their spring season with a gritty performance at the Florida Gateway Invitational, battling tough course conditions to post team scores of 407 on Monday and 400 on Tuesday for an overall 807, finishing in the middle of a competitive field at Florida Gateway Community College.

Head coach Rick Maharry described the two-day event as an eye opener for his squad, which faced a parched, heavily worn layout that tested their adaptability on unfamiliar terrain. The Bermuda grass fairways, thinned by excessive play and a lack of rain, played like a dust bowl, forcing players to adjust their swings or risk chunking shots.

"It was like hitting off concrete," Maharry said. "The grass was very thin, and Bermuda doesn't hold up well without rain. I'd give the course a four out of 10. But for the first tournament, our performance was good. Our team knows that they can do better, and this taught them how to hit on different surfaces they don't see much in Tennessee."

Sophomore Raegan Corvette paced the Lady Raiders on the opening day, carding a strong round that left her tied for 15th individually amid a field where low scores were scarce. Maharry praised her composure, though he noted putting woes across the team contributed to the higher-than-expected tally.

"Raegan did an excellent job overall," Maharry said. "She was tied for 15th after day one. Nobody was really playing well out there on the poor surface, but she was competitive."

Sophomore Sydney Romer, a standout from the fall who entered the spring ranked 20th nationally and fresh off multiple TCCAA Golfer of the Week honors, rebounded impressively on Tuesday. After struggling with par-3s and bunkers in her opener, Romer fired an 89 to climb the leaderboard.

"Sydney hit the ball a lot better the second day," Maharry said. "If she had cleaned up those par-3s early, she would've had a great round both days."

Corvette slipped slightly on Tuesday but held on for a tie for 20th overall, while Romer finished tied for 24th. Sophomores Reagan Bailey and Baye Dobbs rounded out the lineup, grappling with the hardpan conditions that challenged their swings.

"With Bailey and Dobbs, it was a struggle," Maharry said. "They're more sweepers, and on thin grass like that, you have to pinch the ball more when you hit or you'll hit behind it. It's something we'll work on. You can get away with sweeping up here in Tennessee because there's more grass, but not on that course."

The invitational marked Roane State's return to competition after a productive fall that saw steady improvement, including a 10th-place finish at the Jefferson State Invitational in Jasper, Alabama, where Romer tied for 12th with rounds of 82-76. At the Snead State Fall Invitational in Boaz, Alabama, Romer tied for sixth individually despite the team competing shorthanded due to injury. Earlier, at the Southeast District Preview in Oxford, Alabama, the Lady Raiders shot 394-370, with Romer delivering what Maharry called one of her best collegiate efforts.

Maharry emphasized the spring opener's value in building resilience, especially on a venue that doubles as the site for next season's district championship.

"The weather was beautiful — that wasn't the issue," he said. "But the course made it tough. The girls fought through it, and the challenge of the course will make them better."

Looking ahead, Roane State heads to Mobile, Alabama, for the Snead State Invitational at Azalea Country Club on Feb. 20-21.