High school golfers traveling to the 'Happiest Place on Turf' for national competition
Their golf team will compete in the 2019 High School Golf National Invitational at Disney World from June 26-28.
High school golfers traveling to the 'Happiest Place on Turf' for national competition Their golf team will compete in the 2019 High School Golf National Invitational at Disney World from June 26-28. Check out this story on newsleader.com: https://www.newsleader.com/story/news/2019/06/21/wilson-golf-team-traveling-national-competition-disney/1511919001/
Rilyn Eischens, Staunton News Leader Published 10:01 a.m. ET June 21, 2019
Wilson Memorial High School golfers Madison Flint, Ryan Ingersoll, Grayson Wright, Jacob Sears and Noah Hughes will compete in the 2019 High School Golf National Invitational in Orlando June 26-28, 2019. (Photo: Rilyn Eischens/The News Leader)
FISHERSVILLE – Five Wilson Memorial High School students are headed to the "Happiest Place on Turf" this weekend.
Their golf team will compete in the 2019 High School Golf National Invitational at Disney World from June 26-28. They're looking forward to the chance to face teams from across the U.S. – and explore Epcot.
"They earned this opportunity because of their willingness to work," said coach Jeff Jordan. "They take advantage of their out-of-season opportunities to get better. Because of that work and their dedication ... it's given them the opportunity to play on a bigger scale."
People are reading: Virginia ranks 10th nationwide for overall child well-being, new report says
The Wilson golfers – junior Madison Flint, senior Ryan Ingersoll, junior Grayson Wright and 2019 graduates Jacob Sears and Noah Hughes – were invited to this year's Orlando tournament after placing second in the Virginia state high school golf championship last year, Jordan said.
They will play against more than 300 high school athletes on courses that used to host a tournament on the PGA Tour. The Wilson athletes agreed they're excited to check out competition from all over the country and for the chance to travel. Most of their tournaments are within a 45-minute drive of Fishersville, they said.
The new terrain might pose some challenges for the team, since Florida is flatter than the hilly Virginia courses these athletes are used to, Jordan explained. And at sea level, the ball won't travel as far as it does in the Shenandoah Valley's higher elevations.
More: Robert E. Lee symbols updated with Staunton High name as school renovation progresses
The athletes will also have to adjust to playing on Bermuda grass, which is more common in the South. Here, they usually play on bentgrass courses, which are typical in cooler and coastal regions of the U.S., the coach said.
"[Bermuda] greens are a little bit trickier, a little more nuanced maybe than bentgrass," Jordan said. "So definitely teams from the South – who are more familiar with Bermuda – have an advantage."
The coach is confident the team will adapt to the unfamiliar conditions and improve their mental game as well.
"[I hope] it makes some good memories and experience for them," Jordan said. "Any tournament setting and competition helps develop your mental approach to the game and helps with some of the anxiety that everybody has when playing."
More: Augusta County residents take water permit concerns to the Board of Zoning Appeals
Follow Rilyn on Twitter @rilyneischens and get in touch at reischens@newsleader.com. Get access to all Rilyn's stories and support local journalism by subscribing today.
Read or Share this story: https://www.newsleader.com/story/news/2019/06/21/wilson-golf-team-traveling-national-competition-disney/1511919001/