Goodson finishes high school career on high note

Laura Catherine Goodson entered her senior season of golf at Mountain Brook High School with a primary goal in mind. She wanted to conclude her high school career by competing at the state tournament in May.

The Mountain Brook program has improved significantly over the past couple years, but the Lady Spartans were still stuck in a section with perennial state contenders Hoover and Spain Park, meaning the team did not advance past the section tournament.

In order for Goodson to achieve her goal, she would have to finish as one of the top two individuals outside of the advancing teams at section just to make it to sub-state, and then repeat the feat at sub-state.

At the section tournament, she fired a round of 75 to move on. At sub-state, she shot a 79 to earn that coveted state berth.

“It was awesome,” Goodson said. “I worked so hard the month before, so making it was a pretty big deal. It’s pretty hard to make it as an individual.”

The state tournament was held at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail’s Capitol Hill course in Prattville May 13-14. Goodson put up scores of 81 and 80 (161 total) to finish seventh overall in the Class 7A girls division. Despite not matching her scores from the previous postseason tournaments, she was pleased with her performance.

“I hit the ball really well, but the greens were hard and I had a hard time putting,” she said. “I played well for myself, but the score wasn’t where I wanted it to be.”

Mountain Brook golf coach Marilyn Ingram was impressed with Goodson’s ability to remain focused on the golf course, given a senior’s many time-consuming commitments in the closing weeks of the school year. 

“She was able to balance that and she participated in most of our tournaments and then at the end of the season, really shined in sectionals and at sub-state,” Ingram said. “She kept her head and that was so important.”

Goodson’s high school career has concluded, but her competitive playing days are far from over. She has signed to play at Spring Hill College in Mobile. The school has ramped up its golf program after ascending to Division II competition last September, and it has a nursing program suitable for Goodson.

“I’m hoping so,” said Goodson, when asked about the possibility of earning playing time as a freshman. “We’ve got a good amount of freshmen coming in because of the reconstruction of the team. It’ll be fairly competitive between us.”

Goodson vividly remembers shooting a 110 at her first Southeast Junior Golf Tour event as a ninth-grader. She has improved significantly since then and credits coach Wayne Flint, an instructor with Dewsweepers Golf, for helping with her swing the last three years.

She will play a handful of SJGT events this summer, but definitely won’t be replicating that 110. Each aspect of her game has improved over the past few years, but she made a concerted effort to take her short game to the next level recently.

“Her biggest strength was her short game this year,” Ingram said. “Even when she got in some difficult spots, she was able to recover with a good chip shot to get a chance for birdie on a lot of holes.”

With that improvement, she was able to accomplish her goal of getting to state, and she played well once she got there.

“Pretty good end to my senior year,” she said.