It’s pretty special to tee off”our holiday season announcing the inaugural Lexington County Chronicle girls golf All-Star team.

First Team:

Emily Baker and Lily Black Reed (both of Chapin), Kennedy Gooding and Alexis Hodge (both of Gilbert) and Mina Gencoguz (River Bluff)

Second Team:

Anna Smith (White Knoll), Bella Bernagozzi (Lexington), Benedicta Pollard (Swansea), Joy Outhaus (Dutch Fork) and Caitlyn Gaines (River Bluff)

Player of the Year: Isabella Rawl (Lexington)

Coach of Year: Greg Hamm (Chapin)

At the 10th Annual North-South All Stars matches on Nov. 12 and 13 at the Greenwood Country Club, the South team led by River Bluff and Gilbert head coaches Roger Smith and Dru Nix defeated the North by a score of 12-4.

Gilbert’s Gooding and Hodge won their team and individual matches. Chapin’s Baker teamed with River Bluff’s Gencoguz to win their team match also.

In the SCJGA Players Championship this past weekend, Rawl earned a second place finish while Gooding placed fifth and Emily Baker was seventh.

In a very special performance note, Nancy Dodge, member at Mid Carolina Club scored her age of 75 at Edisto Country Club.

More on Lexington Golfer Isabella Rawl

The Lexington Chronicle’s 2021 High School Player of the Year had to overcome a severe back injury that sidelined her for over a year.

“The pain was so intense I couldn’t even sit in class so I could not school for most of my sophomore year,” she said. “The first semester was spent trying to figure out what the problem was then. Fortunately, Chris Finn, a physical therapist in Raleigh diagnosed the problem in January. I spent the spring semester rehabbing.”

Being out so long had tremendous influence on Rawl’s game.

“When I started back, I had to relearn much of the game,” she said. “I had to learn to chip and hit wedges again. Overall it was for the best because my chipping and wedges are better than they have every been.”

Look for more on Rawls’ comeback next week.