Oxford’s girls varsity golf program is in deep trouble unless Coach Terry Kelley can immediately add more names to his team roster.
‘It’s not looking good in terms of numbers,? he said.
Right now, the entire team consists of three golfers ? a junior, sophomore and freshman ? and if Kelley can’t recruit at least one more girl, he’ll have to scratch the team’s first 18-hole tournament scheduled for Friday at the Lapeer Country Club.
‘If I don’t have at least four (golfers) by the end of the day (Wednesday, Aug. 15), then I’ll have to call and cancel us out of that one,? he said.
If more players aren’t found soon, Kelley may be forced to put the kibosh on the rest of the season. ‘I told (Athletic Director) Pat Ball that probably early next week we’d have to make a decision,? he said.
The court-ordered changing of the girls volleyball season from winter to fall and girls golf from spring to fall cost Kelley three players. He lost two girls to volleyball and one to swimming (which remained a fall sport).
Other schools? girls golf programs have been affected by the season changes as well. Friday’s tournament in Lapeer is down from 20 teams to about 10, according to Kelley.
‘Everybody’s having trouble adjusting to the change of seasons,? he said.
Kelley lost another two potential golfers due to their ineligibility and another because she simply couldn’t afford to play.
The school district’s decision to drop the girls junior varsity golf program in spring 2005 is what really hurt the varsity program the most in Kelley’s opinion.
‘From that point on our numbers have been going down,? he said. ‘Girls don’t want to come from having no golf experience to having to compete at the varsity level and I don’t blame them. It’s very difficult to do.?
Any Oxford High School girls interested in playing golf should immediately contact either Kelley at (810) 678-2915 or the Athletic Department at (248) 969-5111.