The Pittsburg High School boy’s golf team has had a successful season so far. The players have been able to carry the team well. 

One of these players is freshman MJ Lowe. Lowe has been playing golf ever since he was five-years-old. 

“The golf season has gone super good, in my opinion,” Lowe said. “I have had lots of fun with my team and the van rides are fun.”

Lowe has been getting, on average, second and third place at his tournaments. Such success as this calls for a lot of preparation. 

“I prepare for golf tournaments by first, going to the range. Then, after that I go and chip for a little bit,” Lowe said. “Right before the tournaments starts I putt, so I know if the greens are fast or slow.”

This year, Lowe is the only freshmen that consistently plays for the varsity golf team. 

“I don’t really feel like an outlier on the team, but it is a new experience for me,” Lowe said. “It is a little different than middle school because we go to more places.”

As for many athletes, there is a reason as to why they participate in their sport. 

“I participate in golf because I have done it all my life and it is my favorite sport,” Lowe said. “My favorite thing about the golf team is getting out of school and playing the sport I love with all my heart.”

The reason why the golf team has had such success this season is because of Mary Packard who is a science instructor and coach.

Mary Packard, science teacher and golf coach, has contributed greatly to the team’s success on the season. 

“The boy’s team has done well this season. I have mostly returning players and they have improved significantly since last season,” Packard said. “As the season goes on, our scores are lowering, which is exactly what is supposed to happen.”

As a team, Packard thinks that the boy’s golf team is able to hold their own.

“We have a solid group of guys right now,” Packard said. “They know they still need to improve, but they can see that when that happens we will be even more competitive next season.”

This season, Lowe has brought certain qualities to the team that have led to success. 

“MJ is a known factor. He is a very good player and that gives the other guys confidence,” Packard said. “He will be fun to watch over his high school career.”

Brock O’Brien has also been an asset to the boy’s golf team. 

“Brock has been really consistent for us this season, taking up where he left off last season,” Packard said. “Brock, Zach Ward and MJ are in the top 4 for scoring each tournament and the 4th score usually changes depending on someone’s round that day.”

As for a team, they do different things to prepare for a golf tournament. 

“Besides working on specific areas of our game, we study a course map that I put together that points outs areas like out-of-bounds, water hazards, etc,” Packard said. 

Just like the athletes, Packard has a reason as to why she took it upon herself to coach.

“I have played golf for over 50 years and have played in quite a few competitions,” Packard said. “I have coached high school sports for 33 years and I was approached to take over the girls program and then took over the boys program the following season.”

After you gain a lot of experience in a sport, there are certain things about it that you favor. Packard has a few favorite things that she likes about coaching the boys golf team.

“Seeing the boys improve their game over the season and their high school career,” Packard said. “Celebrating their milestone PR’s and competing as a team