McDonald County Lady Mustangs Sophomore Golfer Lily Allman
Age: 16
Grade: 10th
Parents: Mark & Julie Allman
Favorite Subject: Biology
Favorite Sports Movie: When The Game Stands Tall
Favorite Pro Golfer: Jordan Spieth
Quotable: “My most memorable moment as a team is when we placed third in the Big 8 Conference Tournament out of nine teams. Everyone shot their best scores of the year, and I met my goal of shooting under 75 with a 74. I was proud of our team for doing so well since this was our first year.”
Lady Mustangs Senior High Girls Golf Team Has Success with Sophomore Star Lily Allman
If the progress McDonald County Lady Mustangs sophomore standout golfer Lily Allman has made in such a relatively short span of time is any indication, her final two years of playing this sport in high school may very well be nothing short of spectacular.
Although she seems to be a mainstay with the Lady Mustangs now, Allman says, “I’ve been playing golf for (only) two years. I started out just swinging some clubs in the yard with my dad.
“I really liked it, so my dad took me to the driving range and a few courses. I felt like I had some natural ability and really enjoyed playing.”
While Allman has played high school golf in 2017 and 2018, she’s only been with the Lady Mustangs for one year and says, “My freshman year, I played on the boys’ team because we didn’t have a girls’ team. This year we started our first girls’ team.”
Lady Mustangs Head Coach Kyle Fields says playing on the boys’ team last year “had a great impact on Lily’s success with the girls’ team this year.
“It was tough playing with the boys with their length and playing from longer tees. But, I think that helped her confidence.”
In describing Allman’s ever-improving play on the links, Coach Fields says, “Lily’s mental toughness is something that sets her apart. She has a good feel and touch in her game. She’s very good around the greens. Her short game allows her to score well.”
Allman says she’s gotten fairly good at golf because, “I think I have good hand-eye coordination and the endurance to play through 18 holes no matter the conditions.”
Regardless of how good she may be, Allman says, “The most important things for success for me are staying calm and focused. If I have a bad shot, I have to move on and focus on the next shot. Staying calm and positive through a tough round and staying focused is most challenging.”
While there are numerous ways of approaching this sport individually, Allman enjoys being part of her high school team.
“The bond and friendship I’ve made with my teammates is very rewarding. We celebrate each other’s accomplishments and support each other.”
Allman explains the mindset in being part of the Lady Mustangs bunch as opposed to singles competition is simply, “I just focus on playing my best and know that’s all I can do.
“Usually, if someone is having a bad day, someone else may be having a good day, so that helps us balance as a team.”
Coach Fields anticipates some good days ahead for Allman and the McDonald County senior high girls golfers. He says, “Lily has set the bar high for our program. I’m looking forward to coaching her in the years to come.”