LEE’s SUMMIT, Mo. — To win a championship, a team has to be tougher than the rest.

The girls at Blue Springs South High School are using birdies and their brains to position themselves for the school’s first girls’ golf championship in nearly 20 years.

Some might say this golf team has mastered the tool that doesn’t fit into a bag. A season filled with high hopes continues for the Jaguars, last year’s MSHSAA Class Four state runners-up.

In 2023, Blue Springs South has finished no worse than fourth in all five of their events. This team also won the Jaguar Invitational at Lakewood Oaks Country Club in Lee’s Summit back in September.

Coach Casey Enright, now in his eighth season as Jags head coach, returns four of his five starters from last season. At least two of his golfers have placed in the top 10 in every event they’ve played this year.

“When things go bad, they all have great attitudes, for the most part. They don’t let that get them down. They do very well at forgetting a bad hole and moving on. I think that’s what’s allowed our girls to play well,” Enright said.

Mental toughness could be the final element in this Jaguar journey. Blue Springs South High School hasn’t won a girls’ state golf championship since the school went back-to-back in 2003 and 2004. With four seniors and a junior leading the way, this year’s club has a good shot.

“A lot of that is making sure you’re not so caught up on your scorecard. Even if you have a double bogey on a hole, you have to get through that, and keep parring the rest of them,” Zoe McVey, Blue Springs South junior, said.

“We’re really good at supporting each other and cheering each other on, even when we have bad days and we struggle. We don’t knock ourselves down, and we never look back,”  Mia Farrar, A Jaguar senior, said.

Blue Springs South has one more regular season event before the district playoffs open on Monday.

The Jaguars are focused on the Missouri Class Four State Tournament, which will be played in Bolivar, Missouri, in October.