So much for success to start the golfing season for the Decatur Gators boys golf team, getting clubbed by the Auburn-Riverside Ravens, 80-58, in action at their home course, the Twin Lakes Golf & Country Club, Tuesday.

AR starts the South Puget Sound League Central season off 1-0 while the Gators now try to improve from this unmomentous beginning.

In this match, scoring points for A-R best was Dustin Hesse, who played No.1 for the foe, shooting a 33, three under par, and being medalist, as well as that nice a score giving A-R 21 points. The No. 1, Roberts, for the Gators, shot a 39 or 15 points. AR’s No. 2 shot a 48 for eight points while Gators’ Gavin Cuddie shot a 44 for 10 points. The No.3, No.4, No.5, No.6 scores were 14, 13 ,13, 11 for A-R while Anthony Massey, the Gators’ No. 3, shot a nice 38 for 16 points, compared to the 40 of the AR No. 3, who got 10 points. The other three Gator golfers shot 5, 5, 7 scores.

And as bad as this match sounds, it’s good to hear that this team will see improvement to their team’s overall score for certain.

“We are missing one of our top golfers today,” said Gators coach Kevin Olson. That MIA status for that golfer because of academics’ woes last spring in school caused last year’s No. 1 player, Matt Parker, to have to sit the first match of the season out.

Still, what would the score have been with Parker in the line-up?

“We would have lost by 10,” said Olson.

So the best of Roberts out there still would not have been enough?

Talking to some other golfers, anonymously saying things, Olson said, “Anthony Massey was the only one who stepped up his game today,”

One player thought his score was OK. That would be Taylor Roberts, who played No. 1 against A-R. And Olson jumped in to his defending himself, “There is always room to improve.You got to improve,” said Olson, talking to his current No. 1.

The battle for the top spot should be fierce this year.

“They are equally good,” said Olson of Roberts vs. Parker.

Parker did make it clear that though he is out, he is not down from his top post.

“I will be No. 1,” he said.

To something like that, Roberts, who will play No. 1 likely against the Gators second opponent of the season, Curtis, played two days after the A-R match, said, “On Thurs., if he (Parker) plays No. 1, I will be calling for a challenge match right away.”

Well, it should be a good back-and-forth, so to speak, as Roberts appears up to the challenge.

At the last week’s jamboree, Roberts shot well, saying, “I shot a two under par, the best of my career.”

Roberts likes the competition from his rival, Parker, who he played behind all season last season.

“We like to throw some stuff out there,” said Roberts.

Some stuff?

“Like, if he hits a bad shot, ha-ha, that kind of stuff. But we are good friends,” said Roberts.

“Friendly competition,” said Parker.

Added Olson, “It’s a friendly, competitive battle, pushing each other to excellence.”

Neither did excellent last year.

Roberts made it to the second day of districts at Gold Mountain Golf Course last season.

“I made it to the second day,” said Roberts, who shot a 79 for 18 holes the first day. Then?

“I did not play my game, and shot a 92,” said Roberts.

Roberts, against A-R, was close to being a lot closer to Hesse, AR’s No. 1, but for one hole of the 9-hole dual match compeitition.

“I had a blow-up hole. I struggled around the green, four strokes on it,” said Roberts. He shot a seven. But other than that bad hole, hey, throw out that hole, and Roberts was fairly close to Hesse’s 34. Hesse shot a three on that hole so that is a 4-point difference.

“I could have done better, three over par,” said Roberts. “But I am better than last year. I am more clutch under pressure. I can hit better shots (under pressure).

So the Gators should get better under Olson’s set-up coaching.

“He sets up lessons with the assistant pro up here,” said Roberts.

So this match versus A-R is gone and done and it is a good thing to forget, minus Massey’s nice No. 3 surprise, it kind of sounds like. The addition of Parker should add depth to a young team that had three of it on junior varsity last year, according to Olson.

The three JV golfers last season now on varsity are Massey, junior, Garett Shepard and sophomore Jacob Foye.

“We got some work to do,” said Olson. “We will hit it hard tomorrow.”

He reiterated the best effort score-wise of his six varsity golfers.

“Best match of his career,” said Olson of the senior, Massey, with Parker, and Roberts seniors as well. “Anthony stepped it up and we look forward to that all season long.”