By OLIVER GOOD

Staff writer

With a younger and smaller team, the second year of the Marion and Peabody-Burns golf team merger will no doubt be a learning experience.

“Some of these guys have never touched a golf club before,” coach Jim Pohlman said. “For others, last year was their first year.”

The team is down from 13 to 8 golfers this year. Practice started two weeks ago with chipping and putting drills and the team started working with woods and long irons on Monday.

Pohlman preaches fundamentals like club grip, proper stance, and keeping the ball positioned at bottom of a swing.

“They’re learning that they don’t have to always try and kill the ball,” he said.

Without last year’s leading senior, Jared Hague, Pohlman plans for juniors Jade Corona, Austin Molleker, and Jacob Matz to step up and be varsity’s foundation this year.

“They have a firm grasp on the basics of golf,” he said. “If they have any trouble I just tell them to go back to the basics.”

Pohlman plans to promote an atmosphere of friendly competition on the team this year in selecting varsity spots.

“I always take six golfers with the six lowest scores in practice to the tournaments,” he said. “But once I get those six, the others can challenge for the spots.”

Pohlman has coached Corona and Molleker before, but Matz played for Centre last year and Pohlman is eager to see how he performs with his new teammates this season.

Senior Brent Buller has played junior varsity for the past three years and could be called onto compete on a varsity level, Pohlman said.

Sophomores William Holt and Dylon Ehrlich, freshman Zach Stephey and junior Kaleb Collett have some learning to do, he said.

“William has some experience, but last year was Dylon’s first year, and Kaleb has never played golf before, and I’ve never coached Zach before,” Pohlman said.

His plan is to get his foundation players into a position to win individual medals and help set a good example for the less experienced players.

The Warriors’ opening tee off is April 7 at Herington.