Team chemistry is a phrase not often heard of on the golf course.
In a sport as individualized as high school golf, where teammates play separate from each other and golfers must be their own caddies, the idea of chemistry between golfers rarely comes into play.
Such is not the case for the Emporia High boys golf team.
“These kids I think have pretty good chemistry, and that’s not always the case on a golf team because it is such an individual sport,” EHS assistant golf coach Bob Miller said. “I think these kids want to succeed and they want to see the others do well, which is nice.”
It’s not like the members of this year’s team needed time to get acquainted with one another, which is often the case when matters of team chemistry arise. Emporia returns its top five golfers from a season ago in Bren Fisher, Fletcher Harder, Jared Johnson, Matt McAnarney and Eric Reimer.
It’s only two weeks into the season, and the players already are noticing the difference from last year.
“I think we’re already seeing a big improvement seeing as how we have more experience,” Fisher said. “We just need everyone to step up, and if that happens all at the same time, I think this could be a really good year.”
EHS already has competed in two tournaments this spring — the Salina Invitational and the Manhattan Invitational — and so far, the results have been favorable.
At Salina, Fisher finished third by firing a 71, which placed him just two strokes out of first place. As a team, Emporia came in third with a score of 301.
Earlier this week at Manhattan, it was Harder who came away with a third-place finish by shooting a 75 to finish five shots out of first, and the team scored a 313 — one of the best scores ever for EHS at Manhattan Country Club — to place third again.
Despite battling cold weather and windy conditions this spring, which has hampered the players’ ability to get into a rhythm, Fisher said it is only a matter of time before it all comes together. That’s when the scores could really start to drop, he said.
“We haven’t had a great round all together yet,” said Fisher, Emporia’s top returner from a year ago after finishing 10th at State. “But even though we all haven’t had a great round together, we’ve been right there.
“That’s just a stepping stone that shows us we can be one of the top teams, we’ve just got to compete like we know we can.”
The early-season successes all go back to chemistry, Miller said.
“The kids get along good, and you’ve got to have them pushing each other in practice,” Miller said. “They need six scores that they can get the best four out of. It seems to be going well, and the experience is paying off.”
Much of the focus for the players heading into the spring was improvement in the short game — putting and chipping.
Harder, for instance, said he believed he could have been in a better position to win at Manhattan had his short game been a little better.
“I had a couple of holes that hurt me,” Harder said, “but the whole round I played pretty solid and hit the ball well.
“The past few years, I’ve had trouble putting. That’s been an Achilles heel for me. I’ve been working a lot with that, and I’ve got a ways to go before I get to where I want to be, but I’m better than I was last year.”
With Regionals being held at Emporia this year, the goals are clearly in sight for the EHS golf team. Chemistry and experience are sure to come into play this season, but for now, Harder said, it’s all about continued improvement.
“We’re kind of in early-season form right now,” Harder said, “but we have a lot of time to practice to get ready for the end of the season, especially League and Regionals.”
The squad is at the Washburn Rural Invitational today and will play at home next Tuesday at the Emporia Municipal Golf Course.