LADY RAIDERS SHOW STRIDES AT LINKS OF KAHITI

VONORE, Tenn. — Roane State women's golf head coach Rich Maharry said his team continues to show promising growth after competing at the Links of Kahiti, the closest course to home on their schedule this season.

The Lady Raiders shot a 378 as a group, a score Maharry believes could have been significantly better if not for missed opportunities on the greens and from the bunkers.

"Everyone improved by more than 10 strokes compared to earlier in the season," Maharry said. "That's definitely impressive, and they still know there's work to do. Putting cost us some strokes, chipping cost us some strokes, but overall the progress is clear."

Freshman Raegan Corvette highlighted the effort with an 80 in her second round despite two out-of-bounds shots and three three-putts. Maharry said without those miscues, Corvette would have been in the low 70s.

"She hit the ball really well and was right there on the edge," Maharry added. "It was a great performance."

Baye Dobbs improved by more than a dozen strokes from earlier tournaments in Mississippi, shooting rounds of 112 and 116 in her first collegiate events.

"Sydney (Romer) got a little frustrated because she found herself in a lot of bunkers," Maharry said. "We had her working on that yesterday, and we're seeing a lot of progress from her now."

Maharry explained that putting woes also hampered Reagan Bailey, estimating she could have saved as many as seven or eight strokes with steadier work on the greens.

Still, the coach believes the team is trending toward the 350-355 range that earned them a berth at nationals last year.

"If we keep working, we can get back to that level," he said. "The biggest thing for all of them right now is ball striking. I've told them to hit 100 balls a day, 700 to 1,000 a week. This isn't just three days of practice anymore — it has to be every day if they want to get better."

Maharry emphasized course management as another area of focus. In the practice round at Kahiti, he instructed players to put away their drivers on a tight hole that punished errant tee shots.

"I told them to hit a five- or seven-iron instead, just to stay in play," he said. "That decision alone saved us two strokes. Putting will always make or break your score, but smart decisions like that can make a difference, too."

The Lady Raiders now turn their attention to their next event in Alabama, hosted by Northwest Alabama on a hillier layout.

"It'll be a tougher course, but the girls are listening, working, and improving," Maharry said. "If we can clean up a few things, we'll be right where we need to be."

Team Score: Roane State 378
Top Individual: Raegan Corvette — 80 (second round)