Augusta, GA

Marine Legentil Overcomes Blindness In One Eye to Compete On the Golf Course – Augusta University

Published

12 months ago

March 11, 2025

Marine Legentil Overcomes Blindness In One Eye to Compete On the Golf Course – Augusta University

Augusta, Ga- When the Augusta women’s golf team hosts the Valspar Augusta Invitational this weekend, they’ll do so with a golfer who’s passion for the sport is above and beyond most others. Marine Legentil came to Augusta University wanting to play Division One golf. She spent two years at Columbus State and was familiar with the team and program. The timing was right and now she’s in the lineup on a regular basis with the Jaguars.

What separates Legentil from others, she was born blind in her left eye. In a sport that requires tremendous hand-eye coordination, Legentil has found a way to excel. But it didn’t happened without some battles.

“I’ve kind of struggled with depth perception, which can be a little tricky sometimes,” said Legentil with a laugh. “For example, something I always laugh at with my teammates and my coach is that if I’m 20 yards off the green, I’ll pull out my range finder because I literally can not tell how far it is.”

Since she hasn’t known anything else, it’s no big deal to her and has accepted it. Another struggle she has at times, is one every golfer has had, following where the ball goes.

“It can be a little scary because when I don’t know where it is, I’m not sure if I’m in trouble or not,” said Legentil.

You certainly can’t tell by watching her that she is blind in one eye, and very rarely will her competitors realize it when they are on the golf course. She doesn’t shy away from it, but she just goes about playing her game.

Legentil followed in her brother’s footsteps when she took up the sport.

“I was seven years old and I started because my brother played golf. He started thanks to my grandmother, and was obsessed with it and I decided I’m going to try too,” she said.

She readily admits she didn’t like the game early on since she would swing and miss the ball and was frustrated by it.

“As it turns out, I kept going to practice with him and I was never able to stop playing,” Legentil said.

Originally from France, Legentil also spent ten years in South Africa with her parents so she was able to pick up English quickly and was comfortable coming to the United States. She knows how big golf is in Augusta and said this was the right move.

Her game has struggled a bit this year and said part of that was playing places she wasn’t that familiar with. Now it is trending in the right direction.

“I think now in the spring, I’m starting to settle in a bit more and hopefully get some low scores by the end of the season,” Legetin said.

She is really looking forward to the Valspar Augusta Invitational.

“I’m really excited,” she said. “I love Forest Hills Golf Club. In my previous two years, I played the Peach Belt Conference tournament on this course so I’ve played it in tournaments before and I feel really good about it. Also the fact that we’ll have a lot of people supporting us and knowing that we’re home is going to feel really good.”

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Augusta, GA

Augusta Boxing Club faces financial uncertainty after nonprofit funding cuts

Published

11 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Augusta Boxing Club faces financial uncertainty after nonprofit funding cuts

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Augusta Boxing Club is facing financial uncertainty after Richmond County’s 2026 budget left no room to fund nonprofit organizations.

The county’s decision removes one of the club’s main financial supporters, leaving the historic organization without a key source of funding.

The Augusta Boxing Club is one of the nation’s longest-running amateur boxing clubs and has served at-risk youth in the Augusta area.

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Augusta, GA

Augusta picks new planning and development director

Published

23 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Augusta picks new planning and development director

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Augusta-Richmond County has selected a new planning and development director nearly a year after the previous director resigned.

Commissioners voted to hire Adleasia J. Cameron, who goes by Lisa, after an executive session Tuesday.

Cameron was one of two finalists for the position, along with Ryan A. Bland.

The position has been vacant since May 30, when Carla Delaney resigned as planning and development director.

“Augusta has been home to me for many years, from my time as a middle and high school student to earning my graduate degree. It has truly been a privilege to work here and contribute to the community’s growth, sustainability, and development,” Delaney wrote in her letter of resignation.

Cameron is expected to start within the next 30 days.

Her salary will be $125,000, with a moving allowance of up to $10,000 reimbursed based on receipts.

Other commission action

Commissioners also received an update that a veterans cemetery will break ground at the end of the year.

A motion passed authorizing the Marshal’s Office to purchase two vehicles at a cost of more than $115,000.

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Augusta, GA

Augusta family flees Middle East as U.S. launches Operation Epic Fury

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Augusta family flees Middle East as U.S. launches Operation Epic Fury

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – An Augusta couple returned home from Israel and Egypt just as the U.S. and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury Saturday.

This happened hours before the State Department issued an urgent warning urging Americans in 14 Middle Eastern countries to “depart now” due to “serious safety risks.”

Diego and Maile Sprague had been staying with a host family in Jerusalem, south of the West Bank. The host family provides self-defense training to women and children living in the West Bank.

“We moved to Jerusalem just south of the West Bank and stayed with a host family that provides self-defense training to women and children that live on the West Bank,” Maile Sprague said. “Sometimes those places aren’t the safest.”

Couple tours Egypt as operation launches

The Spragues left their host family Friday morning to tour Egypt. By Saturday morning, the U.S. and Israel had rolled out Operation Epic Fury.

The couple said their host family was forced to flee their home after two nearby Arab-developed areas were attacked.

“We got word he and his wife had to leave their home because where they live there are two Arab developed areas… and they were attacked, so he and his wife had to flee their home,” Diego Sprague said.

Maile Sprague said the host family is now sheltering with neighbors.

“They are staying in their bomb shelter because there has been constant red alerts, so they’re sharing their bomb shelter with their neighbors,” she said.

Tourism industry shuts down in Egypt

While in Egypt, the Spragues said they witnessed the country’s tourism industry — its largest — coming to a halt.

“Everything that has to do with the tourism industry was closing down. Tourists were trying to leave, and all the buses were being routed to the border for Israel to pick people up from,” Maile Sprague said.

The couple had planned to return to their host family in Israel but instead made the decision to return home to Augusta. They landed in Atlanta hours before the State Department issued its “depart now” warning Monday.

The Spragues said they are safe. Their host family remains in a bomb shelter.

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