Photo by Theo Tate
The Marquette Catholic girls golf team poses with its Madison County small-school division championship plaque last year at the Legacy.
The Alton, Civic Memorial, Granite City, Marquette Catholic and Roxana girls golf teams are already preparing for the 2018 season.
The area girls golf season officially kicks off on Friday with Alton having its Kickoff Tournament at Belk Park Golf Course in Wood River.
The other teams in the tournament are Edwardsville, O'Fallon, Belleville East, Collinsville and Highland.
The tournament will have a scramble format in the first nine holes. Two girls from each team will be paired up.
The next nine holes will have a shamble format, which both girls tee off, take the best drive and play their own ball in and record the best score out of the two players.
Shotgun starts at 10 a.m.
CM, Granite City, Marquette and Roxana start their season on Aug. 14 at the Madison County Tournament at the Legacy Golf Course in Granite City. Alton will also participate in the county tournament.
Last year, Marquette won the small-school division of the county tournament as well as getting a state qualifier in Ellie Kane, who graduated last spring.
Roxana also lost two-time state qualifier Bailey Sharpmack to graduation. The Shells have a new coach in Rob Milazzo, who replaced Krissy Little.
Alton had three sectional qualifiers last year. One of them, Morgan Bemis, has also graduated in '18.
CM and Granite City each had a pair of sectional qualifiers in the '17 season.
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