Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Sister Act 2: Caudills excited for second year together
8/23/2019 11:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — This school year, Middle Tennessee's women's golf players — plus recent graduate Hanley Long — will all live together in adjoining townhome apartments just off campus.
While some of the girls will have to learn to live together for the first time, two have plenty of experience sharing a bathroom, kitchen and living room: sisters Caroline and Catherine Caudill.
"It should be a fun year, to say the least," Caroline said.
The Caudills got their first taste of competing together on the collegiate stage last season.
After Caroline showed off her potential as a freshman in 2017-18 — her 76.19 stroke average was the fifth best in school history by a freshman — Catherine joined the Blue Raiders last year ready to challenge her big sister.
They finished the season with similar average strokes per round, Caroline at 75.6 in seven rounds played and Catherine just besting her at 75.2 in 10 rounds.
Catherine's 75.2 stroke average, seven par or better rounds, low 54-hole total of 212 and low round of 66 all set MT freshman records, and, admittedly, she might not have been able to do it without her sister. She might not have even been able to make it to the course on time.
"I think, for me, it was a lot easier because Caroline had already been there a year and experienced all the things I would have to go through," Catherine said. "She also helped me pack and get up in the mornings, because coach puts us in the same hotel room.
"Basically, the only reason I made it to the course was because Caroline got me up in the morning."
The competitiveness the sisters have towards each other on the course was evident in their first year together at Middle Tennessee.
Caroline and Catherine grew up facing off on the tee box after their grandfather planted the seed in their heads before they were in high school.
"He got us into golf, and he was always getting us to try and play against each other," Caroline said. "He was there for it all."
While they were growing up and molding their respective golf games, Caroline started to stand out with her ability to hit the long ball. Catherine, on the other hand, focused on placement.
"I'm willing to bet money that I'm the shortest hitter on the team; however, I have the best statistics of fairways and greens," Catherine said. "I don't hit it far, but I can count on my ball going straight."
They'll both have to be accurate hitting fairways and greens this season, as the Blue Raiders have to replace three talented players from last year's team, most notably Long, one of MT's all-time greatest golfers. Kentucky freshmen Taylor Edlin and Molly Bebelaar will join the team in the fall.
There aren't any seniors on this year's roster, meaning the girls will have two years to live together and grow a bond.
"Last year felt normal having Catherine on the team, and this year will feel even more like we're just playing at home," Caroline said. "It'll be a comfortable year, for sure … and I think we'll have a great season."
As for their new living situation, the Caudills just hope now they can entice head coach Chris Adams to pick them up for road trips, seeing as how the whole team will be in one place.
"I hope coach will pick us up instead of making us go all the way over to the softball parking lot," Catherine said. "We all got a ticket over there one time … and it would be a lot easier to just pick us up at the townhome."
While some of the girls will have to learn to live together for the first time, two have plenty of experience sharing a bathroom, kitchen and living room: sisters Caroline and Catherine Caudill.
"It should be a fun year, to say the least," Caroline said.
The Caudills got their first taste of competing together on the collegiate stage last season.
After Caroline showed off her potential as a freshman in 2017-18 — her 76.19 stroke average was the fifth best in school history by a freshman — Catherine joined the Blue Raiders last year ready to challenge her big sister.
They finished the season with similar average strokes per round, Caroline at 75.6 in seven rounds played and Catherine just besting her at 75.2 in 10 rounds.
Catherine's 75.2 stroke average, seven par or better rounds, low 54-hole total of 212 and low round of 66 all set MT freshman records, and, admittedly, she might not have been able to do it without her sister. She might not have even been able to make it to the course on time.
"I think, for me, it was a lot easier because Caroline had already been there a year and experienced all the things I would have to go through," Catherine said. "She also helped me pack and get up in the mornings, because coach puts us in the same hotel room.
"Basically, the only reason I made it to the course was because Caroline got me up in the morning."
The competitiveness the sisters have towards each other on the course was evident in their first year together at Middle Tennessee.
Caroline and Catherine grew up facing off on the tee box after their grandfather planted the seed in their heads before they were in high school.
"He got us into golf, and he was always getting us to try and play against each other," Caroline said. "He was there for it all."
While they were growing up and molding their respective golf games, Caroline started to stand out with her ability to hit the long ball. Catherine, on the other hand, focused on placement.
"I'm willing to bet money that I'm the shortest hitter on the team; however, I have the best statistics of fairways and greens," Catherine said. "I don't hit it far, but I can count on my ball going straight."
They'll both have to be accurate hitting fairways and greens this season, as the Blue Raiders have to replace three talented players from last year's team, most notably Long, one of MT's all-time greatest golfers. Kentucky freshmen Taylor Edlin and Molly Bebelaar will join the team in the fall.
There aren't any seniors on this year's roster, meaning the girls will have two years to live together and grow a bond.
"Last year felt normal having Catherine on the team, and this year will feel even more like we're just playing at home," Caroline said. "It'll be a comfortable year, for sure … and I think we'll have a great season."
As for their new living situation, the Caudills just hope now they can entice head coach Chris Adams to pick them up for road trips, seeing as how the whole team will be in one place.
"I hope coach will pick us up instead of making us go all the way over to the softball parking lot," Catherine said. "We all got a ticket over there one time … and it would be a lot easier to just pick us up at the townhome."
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
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