The 2021-2022 Golf Season
Photo by Centenary College Marketing & Communication
Centenary’s Ladies and Gents golf teams are quite unique as they are the only team to compete all year around. They have a season in the Fall and Spring. The teams also have an interesting practice schedule. As golf is an individual sport, there is no set practice time, and each golfer can adjust their practice time based on his/her school schedule. They practice at multiple golf clubs in the Shreveport/Bossier area including Querbes, East Ridge, Southern Trace, David Toms 265, Southern Trace, Old Oaks, and Huntingdon.
Junior golfer Devan Martin says that he enjoys practicing at East Ridge and Southern Trace. “These are two totally different courses, but both have really good features. East Ridge is a short, tight course that is really good to practice on. Southern Trace, on the other hand, is a longer placement golf course where you really have to put the ball in a certain spot to score well! Playing on both of these courses really helps my game.”
If it is storming or if the courses are too wet, the team goes to the “Golf Room” in the Fitness Center. There, they can hit balls in a virtual course and/or practice their putting skills.
Both teams had three tournaments in the Fall. The Gents traveled to Temple, Texas, Delhi, Louisiana and Thackerville, Oklahoma and finished eighth, second, and tenth, respectively. The Ladies started off against Millsaps at Querbes. They then participated in the Rhodes Classic in Millington, Tennessee and joined the Gents at the University of Dallas Crusader Invitational in Thackerville, Oklahoma.
During the Fall season, two senior golfers, Lindsay Strohm and Mitchell Lulich also participate in another sport: swimming. When asked how she manages the two Lindsay says, “Making sure I had my priorities straight before each semester—that way, at the beginning of each week, I could plan out exactly how my schedule would work each week. I would set myself up for success by having a plan set in place and following it! I also try to treat my practice as my ‘me’ time for the day and enjoy the process.”
Photo by Centenary College Marketing & Communication
The teams started the spring season at the Pinecrest Invitational in Longview, Texas on March 14th. The men’s team finished sixth, with senior Richard Polan finishing 2nd after shooting 1-under par 212. This was his fourth career top-five finish. Sophomore Drew Bennett also earned a top-10 finish as he shot 15-over par 228. The women’s team finished sixth with freshman Kiley Smith placing 13th after shooting 35-over par 179.
The Ladies and Gents then hosted the Hal Sutton Invitational at the Golf Club at Stonebridge in Bossier City. This was sophomore Ricky Blair’s favorite tournament. He had the team’s top finish as he shot 4-over par 112 and earned 4th place. He led the Gents to an impressive 2nd place finish out of 10 teams. On the women’s side, the Ladies finished 4th with Kiley Smith leading the way, as she finished 17th after shooting 23-over par 95. Abby Hayes finished right behind her placing 18th with sophomore Madi Wing and Lindsay Strohm finishing 21st and 24th, respectively.
The Ladies then traveled to Columbus, Mississippi, where they finished fifth at the Mississippi University Invitational, while the Gents traveled back to Millington, Tennessee to play in the 2022 Rhodes Spring Classic. This was a highlight for Richard Polan as he placed 1st—his first individual victory. He shot a 2-under par 214. This, along with Drew Bennett’s 4th place finish helped the Gents finish fourth.
Recently, the two teams returned from their Championship tournament which was held in Blanco, Texas.
The Gents finished 7th. Richard Polan received First-Team All-SCAC honors after earning 3rd place. He shot 1-under par 215. Drew Bennett shot 17-over par 233 finishing in 19th place. Harrison John shot 19-over par 235 and tied for 23rd. Ricky Blair tied for 30th after shooting 26-over par 242, Devan Martin shot 29-over 245 and finished 34th, while freshman Tyler Jones finished 41st, shooting 58-over par 274.
Harrison John, a recent grad and current MBA student, said, “My last round was played with my teammate Ricky Blair, and I had one of the best times on the course in a while. It’s a lot of fun getting to play competition rounds with your friends and people you enjoy playing with… having fun and not taking it too seriously is so important to remember throughout college and life.”
The Ladies finished 6th. Kiley Smith placed 24th after shooting 40-over par 184. Abby Hayes shot 43-over par 187 placing 27th. Lindsay Strohm and Madi Wing both shot 68-over par 212 and tied for 31st.
Reflecting on the season, Abby Hayes says, “I would have never imagined my golf season to be cut short due to COVID my sophomore season. A lot has changed between now and then! The 2021-2022 season has finally gotten back to normal, and it was a great end to my collegiate career.”