The 2024-2025 OHS golf team is expected to have a strong season under head Coach Ryne Bankston. A new addition to the OHS boys golf team, sophomore Preston Brooke, made his first appear- ance at the first match at the Yalobusha Country Club in Water Valley, Miss. Coach Bankston believes this year’s squad is ready to make significant jumps in improvement.
“I expect for the team to take a big step forward in our utilization of practice time, our understanding of the golf swing and course management, and our competitiveness in matches,” Bankston said. “We are returning the vast majority of our starters from last season, so we are significantly more experienced and in a place to improve on last year’s results.”
Bankston discussed the importance of constant improvement and discipline in practice, which he sees as the basics for success.
“I want the golfers in our program to under- stand what improvement in golf looks like, what it feels like, what’s required,” Bankston said. “It requires discipline, focus, and intentionality, and we have got to make sure we are always maximizing our opportunities to improve.”
The team’s hard work has already begun to show results. Brooke, a standout player who recently transferred to Oxford, spoke highly of the team’s work ethic.
“It’s been great,” Brooke said. “Coach Bankston and the team are hard workers who push you to be the best you can be.”
Brooke, who has previously won Arizona Player of the Year, also contributed to Oxford’s first team win of the season, setting high expectations for himself and his teammates.
“I think this group can do great things, and we will work hard to play to our full potential,” Brooke said.
Senior Grace Brown, a key player and leader on the team, shares the same enthusiasm and dedication.
“I am blessed to be able to support our golf team this year,” Brown said. “I have worked hard over the last few years to get better, and I hope that I have set a good example for the team along the way.”
As a senior, Brown feels a strong responsibility to guide her teammates, offering them rides to practice and encouraging them to put in the work needed to succeed. Brown’s love for golf is deeply personal; it started in the time she spends with her father, who has been her teacher and mentor in the sport.
“Golf has become an activity that my dad and I can do together, and he has taught me to be the strong golfer I am today,” Brown said.
The next challenge for the golf team is a tournament at Mallard Pointe Golf Course. As the team gears up to push themselves this season, many players keep in mind that it is more than an extracurricular activity.
“Golf pushes me to trust the process and know that not every shot is going to be perfect,” Brown said. “It also brings me a lot of joy and accomplishment whether the round was amazing or not. Golf is like life, it is not always perfect.”
