On Tuesday, Pendleton County golfers, Dylan Eye, Landon Davis, Hayden Kimble, and Jake Thompson, woke up early, went to a big community send off at 7:30 a.m., and began the four-hour drive from Franklin to Wheeling. There, they worked on unfinished business from last year.
Namely, putting in a confident performance, enjoying another adventure on the links, and competing for a title against the best in West Virginia is the goal.
On Oct. 5 and 6, the Wildcats made the trip to Canaan Valley to compete in the Region II golf tournament. All year long, the best of the senior-laden Tygarts Valley and Tucker County squads continually faced off against the young guns of Pendleton County. The Wildcats took first place with a 248 team score while Tygarts Valley came in second at 257. Tucker County scored a 262, and Pocahontas County shot a 333.
Dylan Eye earned the low medalist honor by shooting a 74. Both Pendleton County and Tygarts Valley moved on to states at Oglebay State Park Resort in Wheeling.
For seven years, the golf team has seen both steady improvement in performance and expansion of the roster. “Charlie Burgoyne and Kelly Sites brought it back,” noted Dayne Davis, assistant coach.
Davis shared why the team has surged in the past two years, earning a place among the best in Class A in Wheeling. Burgoyne set the tone of the team originally by treating the squad as a family, encouraging mutual support during both the good and the disappointing matches. He stated that the biggest rivals in the region, Tucker County and Tygarts Valley, sport senior-laden squads with “more physically and mentally mature players than we have.” Davis stated “our kids outwork those other kids.”
Having the right mindset matters. Chip Smith, who has coached PGA players, gave a talk to the players and parents “about the mental aspects of golf,” explaining that just as one cannot get toothpaste back in a tube, one cannot unlive a bad shot or match. The key is learning from it, then setting it aside and focusing on what comes next.
Mike Eye, head coach, shared earlier in the season that the boys had embraced the idea that a player cannot improve just by showing up at practice and games alone. Getting better at golf requires hours of extra work on the links, honing a game and developing skills. That work set the team on the path to success all season long.
Having a home course run by a team that is passionate about supporting young people playing golf helps tremendously. Davis had special praise for the home course, the Highlands at Fisher Mountain. “The support they render the boys is incredible,” he said. “The facility is one of the best kept gems in this state and lets the kids golf as much as they want.”
To the duo of coaches, the immediate goal lies in performing well in the postseason and developing the younger players. That said, they have a long range ideal in mind too. “We’re helping these kids become proficient at what they want to do in life.” Davis explained that he saw none of the boys eventually playing in the PGA, but the work ethic developed will pay lifelong dividends. “They can take that work ethic and become a professional banker, HVAC technician, grocery store owner, or anything they want to work toward,” said Davis.
The team practiced on Monday, then left for Wheeling early Tuesday morning. They will get to walk through the Trent Jones Course.
