New golf coach at Georgetown High School

The Georgetown Eagle girls and boys teams have welcomed a new head golf coach.

Casey Leatherman, a Texas prep golfer who also played collegiate golf within the state, will now lead the high school teams.

Coach Leatherman is from Lufkin, but finished her high school and initial golfing experience in Huntsville.

“The first tournament I played I shot in the 100s,” she said. “By the second semester I broke 80. That year my team won the 5A state championship in golf and things skyrocketed for me.”

In the next two years, Leatherman said she was consistently breaking 80. In her senior year, she shot 4-under at regionals and placed fourth in state.

Leatherman committed to Tarleton State University in Stephenville on a full-ride scholarship.

“My team and I won two Lone Star Conference championships,” she said. “My sophomore year in college I placed second in conference and I hold the record for lowest round in conference history and lowest tournament two-day total.”

Her collegiate career ended early due to Covid, which curtailed playing in her senior year.

Upon graduating, she then turned to her former Lufkin High School. That’s where she became a golf coach, leading the girls and boys teams to a clean sweep as district champions.

Leatherman is now in her second year of coaching and first year at GHS, guiding both the girls and boys in their pursuit of golfing honors blended around a career in education.

Revised golf rules

There are some significant changes coming to golf next year. Hopefully they will simplify some fuzzy rules that are now in play.

One relates to a broken club during a round. If the club was damaged or broken, or if a weight screw came out of the driver or if an iron broke, changes were not permitted mid-round. The rules of golf did not permit such a replacement or modification until after the round. That is changing in 2023. Golfers may make a club replacement with any type or brand of club or may tighten loose screws during the round.

Hitting into a penalty area will have new rules, eliminating the current three options.

Starting in January, golfers will have to drop their ball in back-of-the line relief on the line — and then play the ball.

In dropping the ball, it is played where it comes to rest within a circle that is one club length in radius.

As noted by the USGA and the R&A, golfers will now revert to the way they “dropped the ball on the line” before the rule was modified three years ago.

If a ball is moved by natural forces starting next year, it must be replaced if it goes to a different area or out-ofbounds after being dropped or placed. This will allow the ball to be put back and played. Another change involves the use of handicaps in stroke-play events. Presently, golfers are responsible for a proper handicap index when playing in a tournament.

Starting in January, the tournament committee instead of the players will be responsible for accurately tracking such handicap information.

If a golfer really wants to stay atop the regulations, the official Rules of Golf are now available via the mobile app on the smartphone. The rules had always been available in a book, but that is now a bit of history in the publishing world.

Hole-in-one

Crystal Falls GC, Leander, November 6: Deborah Reyes, No. 2 at 88 yards, 6-hybrid; witnesses were Mason Reyes and Kelsey Bell Cowan Creek GCm October 6: Steve Gustison, No. 5 at 108 yards, pitching wedge; witnesses were Glenn Slade, Scott Slough and Clay Stubbins White Wing GC, October 29: Andy Comer, No. 3 at 139 yards; witnesses were Otis and Diane Haarmeyer and Susan Comer

Results

Berry Creek CC, November 1-2: Super senior club championship: Men-Terry Genebacher; women- Carol Town November 5-6: Ladies Golf Association championship: Linda Pryor-overall gross champion; Karen Elliston-overall net champion

Future events

November 18-19: GHS boys, Lufkin Panther Invitational, Crown Colony CC, Lufkin November 18-19: UIL 6A girls state preview, Legacy Hills GC

Reach golf writer Doug Kienitz via TexasGolfing@yahoo.com