Head coach Marvin Green and the Rattlers golf team are optimistic as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championship nears.
The championship will begin on April 15 and last until April 17 in Savannah, Ga.
This will be the golf team’s first dose of action since March 13 when it competed in the FAMU Spring Invitational Golf Tournament on the Fred Couples course at Southwood Golf Club. The Rattlers earned a 585-point, second-place finish.
The results were a significant increase compared to last season’s invitational, as the Rattlers lost by a narrow six-stroke margin to the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats this season.
FAMU finished third at last year’s MEAC championship. Team members said they have the ability to finish on top this year.
“We have a really good shot at winning this year,” said sophomore Justin Stills, who paced the Rattlers during the spring invitational with a total stroke count of 142. “Give us a few more weeks and we will be ready.”
FAMU will compete against seven other teams, including archrival B-CU. The Wildcats, who surged to first place last year, will be the Rattlers’ toughest competition.
Despite B-CU’s claim on the conference, the Rattlers said they are not worried. The team’s only senior, Shepherd Archie III, said if the team focuses on the game it would display a strong performance. Archie finished second for the Rattlers during the spring invitational with a total stroke count of 144.
“If we just play our game, then they won’t be a problem,” Archie said.
The Rattlers have been working on fundamentals daily to prepare for the championship. Green said the team would be prepared if it learns to use “good course managing decisions.” He said that was an issue for FAMU during some of its previous competitions.
Archie said the team has been learning to make wise decisions on the golf course during every practice the last two weeks. He said the team is making progress and will be prepared when the tournament starts.
“Improvement from everyone is starting to show, so we are headed in the right direction for the conference,” Archie said. “We have some struggling parts, but by the time the conference gets here, we will be ready.”