Senior golfer Josh Mitchell eyeing big season for Riverwood

It was nice to open the season with a first for one of Riverwoods senior golfers.

Josh Mitchell was through seven holes of his practice round at Steel Canyon Golf Club in Sandy Springs Thursday when he approached the 190-yard par-3 eighth hole.

Once on the tee, he figured hed just go ahead and make it.

Way easier than putting.

After his well-struck six iron soared into the darkening skies, he and his teammates searched for the ball around the green complex.

I guess I flew it, Mitchell said. Its like 190 yards and its one of the hardest holes on the course.

Three holes prior, Mitchell left a tee shot on the edge of the cup, mere inches from his first-ever hole-in-one.

Jeez, am I ever going to get one, Mitchell wondered.

Left somewhat confused after his tee shot on the eighth, he and his playing partners looked in the woods and around the green and could not locate the ball. But following a putt from a teammate, Mitchells ball was found to be in the hole.

It was a pretty good moment, he said.

And despite not having the satisfaction of actually seeing his first-ever hole-in-one find the cup, its been a pretty good year, regardless.

In August, Mitchell, who is involved with the First Tee Metro Atlanta, struck the opening tee shot at the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. He was selected after a rigorous selection process involving essays and interviews.

It was amazing, he said. I got to meet a lot of tour players and influential people in the game and was on the Golf Channel, FOX5 and CBS and had some good exposure. It helped a lot and I hit the drive really well. I was nervous. Thats one of the tightest fairways on the course.

In Area 3-6A last season, the Raiders finished 14 strokes behind No. 1 Newnan (300) and 11 strokes behind No. 2 Marist (303). In Sectionals, Riverwood was 20 strokes out of qualifying for the Class 6A state tournament.

But thats a result that Mitchell thinks will change this year.

We have some good returning seniors, he said. We have been here since we were freshman and on varsity since then. Our goal is a state title. Last year, we made it to sectionals and we kind of fell apart. But we have experience and the tools we need, and weve gotten better. I think we can place well this year.

Mitchell will lead an experienced Riverwood team into the fray in the Villa Rica Wolverine Invitational at Fairfield Plantation in Carrollton on Feb. 18.