Young and hungry Mules ready to tee off this season

The Poplar Bluff boys golf team is ready to swing into action for the upcoming spring season, and coach Billy Pyland has high hopes for this group of players.

“I feel good about this group of kids because they’ve really been working hard,” Pyland said. “Our captain, Lawson Barks, has been front and center with motivating everybody to get out to the course and practice, which is sometimes hard. But if you want to be good, you have to come out and work at the game.”

While in the offseason, Pyland keeps the team busy with skill training and getting a grasp on the ins and outs of golf.

“I do a summer camp for about a month and I believe that helps the kids,” Pyland said. “We work on every aspect of their game, whether it’s the driving game, short game planning or the overall fundamentals of golf.”

Pyland said the team’s approach toward practice has been great. During their training, Pyland zeroed in on the Mules playing much smarter this season when dealing with course management and how perfection plays a key role in a game that requires little to no error.

Barks is a returning junior, and similar to Pyland, he’s also excited for the season but realizes getting to the district tournament will not be a cakewalk.

“It’s going to be a little rougher than it was last year for us, but all in all, I think we will be fine,” Barks said. “Every team has to adjust when losing seniors and more experienced players, but if we work hard, we will be just fine.

“Our goal as a team and as individuals is to win. Our mindset should be focused on winning every match.”

The Mules golf team has seen much success in the past few seasons, and Pyland said the goal is to keep the momentum going. He mentioned that the team’s success is only possible because of the talented kids and the parents that take those kids to tournaments, which make a big difference.

Pyland praises the parents of the past and the future for doing their part, and it will never go unnoticed.

Though the team is young, Pyland believes this young core can blossom into some competitive golfers and make great strides into the direct tournament and state.

“Of course, the goal is always to win state and come out on top of the district,” Pyland said. “Our district is very high profile, so it’s pretty tough. I believe I got the kids that can do that because my younger guys are coming up, and it looks pretty good for the future of our program.”