For freshman golfer Emma Brown, it all started with a little brotherly influence.

“My little brother started playing before me, and one day I was with him out on the range and I decided that I wanted to try playing,” Brown said.

Since that fateful day years ago, Brown has rapidly grown into a talented player.

Brown, as the top golfer for the Lady Bulldogs, will look to help lead the team as it prepares for postseason. In addition, she also brings another interesting asset by being the only left-handed player on Bearden’s district team.

“When I was a kid, I played softball for a few years and batted left-handed but threw with my right hand,” Brown said. “When I do my dives off the block for swim, I start on my left foot.

“The weird thing is I do everything else with my right hand.”

Including her versatility, her teammates are extremely positive about her skill set and work ethic.

“She probably practices more than anyone on the team, and it shows,” senior Seth Gettelfinger said. “She’s a good player and she’s a really good putter.”

Added junior Matt Howard: “She’s just a really good player and can really hit the ball far.”

The high school golf season now enters fever-pitch with the district tournament being held Monday at Lambert Acres Golf Club where Brown and the Bulldogs will get a chance to showcase their talent. They hope to advance individuals and the team as a whole to regionals.

The top three teams advance out of districts for girls and boys. If the team doesn’t advance, players can qualify for regionals by having one of the top 10 scores as an individual.

The four best scores on a team count toward the boys final score and the two best scores are added together for the girls total score.

Brown has many aspirations for herself but simply focused on what her team could do.

“I would like for our team to make it to regionals,” Brown said.

Her expectations and goals for the rest of her high school career, however, take a larger view.

“My goal is to get a scholarship to a Division-I school,” Brown said. “And shooting consistently low 70s by my senior year.”

And with Brown’s determination, noted work ethic, and skill set, it is impossible to count her out.