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Meet Grosse Pointe Woods University-Liggett\u2019s inaugural girls golf team: Antonia Randazzo, Olivia Robinson, assistant coach Tony Caruso, Ella Caruso, head coach Dave Robinson, Olivia Boggs, Lexi Spain and Ty\u2019Lynn Thornton. The Knights, who will compete in the Catholic League’s Intersectional Division, had their first match in school history Aug. 21. (Wright Wilson | Special to Detroit Catholic)<\/p>\n
GROSSE POINTE WOODS \u2014 Fear of the unknown. Opening-day jitters. Call it what you will, but Ty\u2019Lynn Thornton openly admitted she was a \u201cnervous wreck\u201d leading up to her first high school golf match.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was very stressed out, but I was getting through it, and having a friend who was on the opposing team, it turned out OK,\u201d the junior at Grosse Pointe Woods University-Liggett said. \u201cIt was very nice. Actually, it felt like practice. It was very relaxing, very calming, and I enjoyed it very much.\u201d<\/p>\n
The butterflies were warranted in this case, as Thornton was trying a new sport for the first time.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mom played in high school and college; in middle school she took me around to a few courses,\u201d Thornton said. \u201cI\u2019m pretty good at putt-putt, but that\u2019s about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t Ty\u2019Lynn Thornton follows the path of her putt toward the hole. Thornton is a new golfer playing on University-Liggett\u2019s newest team.<\/p>\n Thornton had no choice but to adhere to a quick learning curve. After beginning formal practice only a week and a half earlier, here she was \u2014 one of the six students representing Liggett on its first girls golf team in school history, squaring off in its first match against experienced rival Grosse Pointe North.<\/p>\n She was paired with freshman Lexi Spain \u2014 the Knights\u2019 other true rookie \u2014 and two other North golfers on a picture-perfect afternoon at Lochmoor Country Club in Grosse Pointe Woods. Coach Dave Robinson accompanied the group containing two newcomers, giving advice at ample opportunities or simply trying to keep his new charges calm and collected.<\/p>\n “Most of the others have had some experience playing golf; it\u2019s just Lexi and Ty\u2019Lynn who are pretty much beginners,\u201d Robinson said. \u201cWe started Aug. 11, and what\u2019s today, the 21st? They haven\u2019t had much time, but Lexi came though and hit some really good shots and her score ended up counting today.\u201d<\/p>\n Liggett has four freshmen among the six who played Thursday, including Robinson\u2019s granddaughter, Olivia, who moved to Metro Detroit from Arizona last year in eighth grade.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been playing since I was about 3 years old, but I didn\u2019t decide to start getting consistent with it until within the last year. I\u2019ve been really trying to work for it, and spending a lot of time out there,\u201d she said. \u201cIt feels great; I\u2019m really proud. My grandpa\u2019s done a really good job.\u201d <\/p>\n The elder Robinson, who has been a longtime golf instructor and had even worked with the school\u2019s students through the years, was glad to see this day finally arrive.<\/p>\n \u201cIn my real job, I run TGA Golf where we do after-school enrichment programs,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve done them at Liggett for 15 years, and I\u2019ve always asked, \u2018Why don\u2019t you have a girls golf team?\u2019 because I had a bunch of girls at the elementary school in the golf program.\u201d <\/p>\n Liggett \u2014 located just a few blocks between a pair of top-flight courses \u2014 had never sponsored girls golf in its long history.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t Olivia Boggs concentrates before sinking a four-foot putt on the eighth green. Boggs is one of four freshmen in Liggett\u2019s lineup.<\/p>\n \u201cI have no clue why that is, actually,\u201d Thornton said. \u201cI do have a few friends who were on the boys golf team last year, but I guess there was no interest shown in a girls golf team from the students. Our school is very student-oriented, so if the students want something, they are definitely going to get it. People showed more of an interest this year, and we got the results.\u201d<\/p>\n Robinson said the school administration was very supportive about sponsoring a new team when he approached them in the spring. <\/p>\n \u201cThe impetus is my grand-daughter goes to Liggett, and they didn\u2019t have a girls golf team, and the only way for them to have it was for me to volunteer to coach,\u201d he said. \u201cI played high school golf, and it\u2019s just a really fun experience. I just hope that these girls learn a lifelong game and keep improving and make new friends and have a great time.\u201d <\/p>\n Thornton is already well down that path.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m getting closer with Lexi,\u201d she said. \u201cLexi and I both started this year, so were going to try our best and get that ball rolling. We\u2019re going to get good, I guess.\u201d <\/p>\n After the golfers completed their nine holes Thursday, the coaches added up the scores, and discovered Liggett had won the match by a single stroke \u2014 surprising Coach Robinson, who feels learning the game and bonding are higher priorities than immediate results.<\/p>\n \u201cI just wanted to have fun today; I wanted the girls to have a good time,\u201d he said. \u201cI really had no idea how we would do. It\u2019s really nice to get a victory. North\u2019s coach (James Hansinger) is a great guy, and he\u2019s been very helpful. I\u2019m just glad we really had a good experience.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cI think that we did a really good job,\u201d Olivia Robinson said. \u201cI\u2019m really proud of what we were able to do, especially with two of our players being brand new. I think that\u2019s really good.\u201d <\/p>\n League link outlook<\/p>\n Liggett is the 17th Catholic League member school to sponsor girls golf \u2014 a sport that once featured only a handful of league teams. It has grown to include three regular-season divisions (Central, AA and Intersectional) and two championship tournaments (Bishop and Cardinal). <\/p>\n
\n\t![\"Ty\u2019Lynn](\"https:\/\/img.hghlnd.com\/imgix\/https:\/\/detroitcatholic.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/x0254x.JPG?w=2400&h=1800&fit=clip&crop=faces\")
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