None of the teams at Mingus Union High School have had an official competition since March. That’s about to change.
The Marauders golf team will get its season going against Bradshaw Mountain and a still to be named opponent at Prescott Country Club on Tuesday, Sept. 1. The opportunity to partake in competition is one that the Mingus golfers are relishing.
“We are here to compete,” Marauders coach Craig Mai said. “That’s kind of our theme for the season. That’s our goal and we’re excited about that opportunity.”
Golf teams throughout Arizona were allowed to begin their official practices on Monday, Aug. 17. Mingus practiced on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday but had to call off Thursday’s and Friday’s practices due to lightning.
The Arizona Interscholastic Association permitted golf teams to open competition on Monday, Aug. 24. Given that two early practices were canceled, Mai was relieved that the Marauders waited an extra week for their first match, especially since some of the golfers came in a little rusty. The coach hopes that the extra week of preseason practice pays dividends.
When Mingus does return to competition, the lineup will feature a number of players with varsity experience. The Marauders return most of their roster from last year. An exception is Noah Daher, who was 2019’s No. 1 player. He graduated and is now playing golf at Hawaii Pacific University.
The No. 1 spot in the lineup this season will likely be held by senior Trey Peters, who narrowly missed qualifying for state a season ago. Fellow senior Carter Welly is the presumptive No. 2 player for Mingus.
Mai is also excited about a trio of returning sophomores: Jake Madore, Ryland Sorensen and Kristopher Velazquez. All got some playing time last year as freshmen and are now set to have an even greater role on the team.
“They had a taste of competition last year,” Mai said. “We’re excited about seeing them progress and being part of the team, as well.”
Of course, with the COVID-19 pandemic still lingering, there are challenges involved in playing this year. A number of things that golfers have grown accustomed to have changed. The bunkers do not have rakes. Players will not exchange scorecards or keep each other’s scores. Additionally, pre- and post-round hand shakes, as well as any congratulatory hugs, high fives, fist bumps or anything like that are off-limits.
Schedule-wise, Mingus would normally participate in tournaments, featuring a number of teams and players. This year, the Marauders have eliminated all tournaments from the schedule and are focusing only on regular nine-hole matches.
Despite those changes, golf is less affected by the pandemic than most other sports. Given that it’s a non-contact, individual sport with small rosters and no shared ball, social distancing is generally built into the game.
“Our whole season is basically in Phase 1,” Mai said. “We’re able to stay 6 feet apart. We’ve worked with the AIA and are putting in some stuff. There’s no contact. We won’t share scorecards. The scoring will be online. We’re doing everything we possibly can for the safety of our golfers.”
