GROSSE POINTE WOODS — Fear of the unknown. Opening-day jitters. Call it what you will, but Ty’Lynn Thornton openly admitted she was a “nervous wreck” leading up to her first high school golf match.
“I was very stressed out, but I was getting through it, and having a friend who was on the opposing team, it turned out OK,” the junior at Grosse Pointe Woods University-Liggett said. “It was very nice. Actually, it felt like practice. It was very relaxing, very calming, and I enjoyed it very much.”
The butterflies were warranted in this case, as Thornton was trying a new sport for the first time.
“My mom played in high school and college; in middle school she took me around to a few courses,” Thornton said. “I’m pretty good at putt-putt, but that’s about it.”
Thornton had no choice but to adhere to a quick learning curve. After beginning formal practice only a week and a half earlier, here she was — one of the six students representing Liggett on its first girls golf team in school history, squaring off in its first match against experienced rival Grosse Pointe North.
She was paired with freshman Lexi Spain — the Knights’ other true rookie — and two other North golfers on a picture-perfect afternoon at Lochmoor Country Club in Grosse Pointe Woods. Coach Dave Robinson accompanied the group containing two newcomers, giving advice at ample opportunities or simply trying to keep his new charges calm and collected.
"Most of the others have had some experience playing golf; it’s just Lexi and Ty’Lynn who are pretty much beginners,” Robinson said. “We started Aug. 11, and what’s today, the 21st? They haven’t had much time, but Lexi came though and hit some really good shots and her score ended up counting today.”
Liggett has four freshmen among the six who played Thursday, including Robinson’s granddaughter, Olivia, who moved to Metro Detroit from Arizona last year in eighth grade.
“I’ve been playing since I was about 3 years old, but I didn’t decide to start getting consistent with it until within the last year. I’ve been really trying to work for it, and spending a lot of time out there,” she said. “It feels great; I’m really proud. My grandpa’s done a really good job.”
The elder Robinson, who has been a longtime golf instructor and had even worked with the school’s students through the years, was glad to see this day finally arrive.
“In my real job, I run TGA Golf where we do after-school enrichment programs,” he said. “I’ve done them at Liggett for 15 years, and I’ve always asked, ‘Why don’t you have a girls golf team?’ because I had a bunch of girls at the elementary school in the golf program.”
Liggett — located just a few blocks between a pair of top-flight courses — had never sponsored girls golf in its long history.
“I have no clue why that is, actually,” Thornton said. “I do have a few friends who were on the boys golf team last year, but I guess there was no interest shown in a girls golf team from the students. Our school is very student-oriented, so if the students want something, they are definitely going to get it. People showed more of an interest this year, and we got the results.”
Robinson said the school administration was very supportive about sponsoring a new team when he approached them in the spring.
“The impetus is my grand-daughter goes to Liggett, and they didn’t have a girls golf team, and the only way for them to have it was for me to volunteer to coach,” he said. “I played high school golf, and it’s just a really fun experience. I just hope that these girls learn a lifelong game and keep improving and make new friends and have a great time.”
Thornton is already well down that path.
“I’m getting closer with Lexi,” she said. “Lexi and I both started this year, so were going to try our best and get that ball rolling. We’re going to get good, I guess.”
After the golfers completed their nine holes Thursday, the coaches added up the scores, and discovered Liggett had won the match by a single stroke — surprising Coach Robinson, who feels learning the game and bonding are higher priorities than immediate results.
“I just wanted to have fun today; I wanted the girls to have a good time,” he said. “I really had no idea how we would do. It’s really nice to get a victory. North’s coach (James Hansinger) is a great guy, and he’s been very helpful. I’m just glad we really had a good experience.”
“I think that we did a really good job,” Olivia Robinson said. “I’m really proud of what we were able to do, especially with two of our players being brand new. I think that’s really good.”
League link outlook
Liggett is the 17th Catholic League member school to sponsor girls golf — a sport that once featured only a handful of league teams. It has grown to include three regular-season divisions (Central, AA and Intersectional) and two championship tournaments (Bishop and Cardinal).
Golf used to be the exclusive domain of programs such as Farmington Hills Mercy, Bloomfield Hills Marian, Warren Regina and (the now-closed) Livonia Ladywood. But each new Catholic League expansion has upped the competition level.
New programs have come along at schools such as Wixom St. Catherine, Royal Oak Shrine and Orchard Lake St. Mary’s. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook and Macomb Lutheran North have won championships since coming into the league in the last decade.
The past two league titles have been won by Toledo St. Ursula Academy and Ann Arbor Greenhills, and they are among the favorites competing this fall.
St. Ursula is an Ohio powerhouse that finished fifth at its state meet last year after taking district and regional titles. The school has won the Bishop Division tournament in each of the two seasons since joining the Catholic League. Coach Jim McGowan said the Arrows return four players from last year’s team: seniors Sydney Socha, Lindsey Kornowa and Kennedy Donnelly, as well as junior Olivia Rodgers, and there are freshmen poised to make their marks, too.
While most of the Arrows’ regular-season schedule is against Ohio-based competition, McGowan said he respects the formidable level of play in the Catholic League. Bishop runner-up Cranbrook finished fourth at Michigan’s Division 2 state finals and only graduated one member of its varsity team. Farmington Hills Mercy must replace four of its top six golfers from last year, but Vicky Kowalski’s program has claimed the Division 2 state title in each of the past three seasons.
Dearborn Divine Child, which won the Division 2 state finals in 2021, also qualified for last year’s tournament, as did Lutheran North (2022’s Division 3 champ) and Marian (the Division 3 winner in 2019 and 2020).
In the Cardinal Division, Greenhills has won the past three titles. The Gryphons graduated their top two golfers, most notably Catholic League champion and three-time individual state medalist Mia Melendez, but return the next four, and had a 10-stroke cushion over St. Mary’s.
The 2025 Catholic League finals will be held Monday, Sept. 29, at the Flint Golf Club.
