Phillips signs with Pirate golf program

JON DYKSTRA/THE FORUM
Maryville senior Casey Phillips signed with North Central Missouri College golf on Friday at the Hound Pound. Pictured, front from left, John Phillips, Casey Phillips, Christina Atkins, NCMC coach Nate Swann; back; Maryville coach Brenda Ricks, Travis Atkins and Maryville assistant coach Larry Ricks.

MARYVILLE, Mo. — Casey Phillips has had an outstanding run as a high-school golfer at Maryville High School. The 3-time state qualifier saw her Spoofhound career finish up by helping the Spoofhounds secure their first state trophy since 2011 — taking fourth in Class 2.

Phillips finished 23rd overall in Joplin, thinking that would probably be her last competitive golf tournament.

She’s been a mainstay of the program going back even beyond her four years. Phillips practiced with the varsity golfers when she was in junior high. She immediately joined the lineup as a freshman and was a fixture for the past four years.

“She came to every practice as an eighth grader, so she has had five years of practice,” Maryville coach Brenda Ricks said. “So she has got the skills when it comes to striking the golf ball. We know the toughest part of this game is the six inches between your ears. … I think that will be a strength for her.”

After state, Phillips came to the realization that she wasn’t ready to put her clubs away for good yet.

“It wasn’t really a goal until my senior year was over and I realized how much I missed it,” Phillips said.

Before Phillips knew she was wanting to play college golf, North Central Missouri College coach Nate Swann had been following her career and he knew she’d be a good fit for the Pirates.

“What I’ve noticed from her these last couple years is that she has a great attitude on the course,” Swann said. “She really never gets rattled. If she has a tough hole and things aren’t going her way, her attitude is always positive and she is able to come through that on the course.

“… She will be a great teammate for us. Positive impact player. She has solid length compared to some other NJCAA golfers. Her short game — it has gotten so much better these last couple years from when I’ve seen her.”

Swann is a Northwest Missouri State graduate and the program has had success with Spoofhound golfers before — most recently having Emily Long and Jessica Sheil on the team. Phillips joins a group that already includes two MEC players with returning sophomores Mollee Olszowka of Savannah and Skyler Powers of Chillicothe.

“She has put a lot of work in on that,” Maryville assistant coach Larry Ricks said of her short game. “Two of the things I’ve concentrated on with Casey in this last season were working on her short game, because everyone knows that if you have a good short game, you are going to improve your score. The other thing was playing with a positive mental attitude and playing with confidence. She really made great strides with that this year and I think that will carry over.”

Phillips will pursue a nursing degree in college.

“It is really exciting,” Brenda Ricks said. “… It is just good to see her go ahead and take that next step.”

Phillips was a part of one of the most-decorated classes in Spoofhound girls golf history. In addition to Phillips, the class includes Cailyn Auffert, Lauren Jaster, Maggie Webb, Brinley Conn, Ainsley Watkins and Alana Crawford.

“They make it a lot of fun on the course,” Phillips said. “It is enjoyable. They help my love for the sport. It is fun to be around.”