The Charlottesville High School golf team has finished its first season under new coach James Daly. Despite a rough year on paper, the young CHS golf team made major advancements as a program, putting it in a strong position to win a District, Region, and State Championship in the near future.
The Knights had a strong finish, placing 5th in the Jefferson District with a score of 337. This was a three-place improvement from last year’s 8th place finish, with several golfers playing 8-10 shots better than their average scores from last season.
Senior Graham Holub shaved 10 strokes, on average, off his score since last year. When asked about how he made such a large improvement, he told KTR, “It’s all in the short game. I practiced putting and chipping almost every day.”
The golf team was led throughout the season by senior captain Andrew Cullinan. He initially joined the golf team in his junior year to have fun and get better at the sport. He ended up progressing to the number 2 or 3 golfer and being a key part of the team.
When discussing his role as a leader on the team, Cullinan explains, “I try to keep the guys and girls together, especially during practice, to keep them focused and make sure they are getting better every day.” Cullinan additionally had the honor of being named CBS19 Student Athlete of the Week. If you would like to listen to his interview with CBS19, you can follow this link.
Another crucial element in this year’s success has been sophomore Charlie Wise, who shoots the lowest average for the team. His individual score of 84 qualified him to compete individually in regionals. Not only has he helped the team through scoring, but he also contributes as a leader on the course. He has been able to guide the team’s development by improving their swings and working on their mental game.
Due to both his academic and sports success, he was selected as the October “Flow Motors Student-Athlete of the Month.” He looks forward to continuing to lead the team in the upcoming years.
Not only has golf come out this season and greatly developed their skills, but they also had fun while doing so. Sophomore Patrick Daly described his favorite memory of the season as “car rides with the team in the van bonding together.”
The golf team’s future is looking bright as many players will return for the 2025 season!
