Golf is a game of strength, both mental and physical, that requires intense preparation and careful execution. This is why, for the last seven weeks, the Atoms golf team has been practicing hard for what is undoubtedly the most important match of their season, the Patriot District Tournament.

The team is scheduled to take on the rest of the district today and again tomorrow afternoon at Twin Lakes Golf Course. To qualify for regionals and move on to the next round, they will have to continue the success that they have experienced throughout the season.

“As a team we have done really well [this year],” said senior Eric Reynolds, who is one of six starters slated to compete in today’s tournament. “A lot of people have stepped up this year to make our team competitive.”

The team finished the regular season with a final record of eight wins and five losses, including four wins in “tri” matches.

Head coach Richard McCormack is optimistic about the team’s performance this year, and believes that the team has as good a chance as any to move on to the regional tournament.

“Very few golfers in the world have achieved the level of competence as our starters — very few. They will do as best as they are able in the District Tournament, and that alone is great,” said McCormack.

In his first year back as head coach since 2004, McCormack has coached the team to a winning record despite the loss of several key players from last year.

“Coach Mac’s return did wonders for our team,” said senior Greg Nielsen, another one of the expected district starters. “He has the most golf sense of anyone I know and really helped improve everybody’s game in practice.”

Added Reynolds, “Coach Mac has been a huge help to our team this year; he has really motivated me to become a better golfer.”

Not only are the players impressed with McCormack’s knowledge of the game, McCormack himself is very pleased with all of the progress made by his players this year. Faced with limitations on practices because of high costs and a lack of decent courses in the area, the team has had to make the most of their playing time.

“Given the limitations I just described about the lack of playing and practice facilities, we have worked so incredibly hard — harder than anyone can ever imagine — at getting better and learning how to handle the difficulties of the game,” said McCormack.

In addition, though the early start of the golf season led to a lack of practice time between matches, the team has made the most of their time on the course in preparation for districts.

Now all that is left for the team is to put together all that they have learned in practice and previous matches to come out strong in today’s tournament. Should they score well and place second, which is possible given their overall performance this season, they would secure a place in regionals.

Said McCormack of this goal, “that is doable, given that all of the pressure will be on the two teams that have dominated the district: South County and Lake Braddock. But they have shown vulnerability, especially South County.”

In the end, it all comes down to whether or not the team’s district competitors perform well over the next two days, allowing them to put pressure on both South County and Lake Braddock and maybe even knock one out of the running for a spot in the regional tournament.