This past week, the Islander Varsity Boys Golf Team competed in a total of three grueling matches (two league and one non league) that tested the team’s endurance, mental strength, and playing ability.
On Monday, April 3, the boys traveled to The Crossings at Carlsbad to face off against Pacific Ridge. Conditions were exceptionally windy, making it difficult to drive fairways and hit greens. The course itself was unfamiliar territory, and the players were shuttled from one hole to the next because of the steep elevations and difficult terrain. Despite the obstacles, the Islanders celebrated their best performance of the season and carded their lowest cumulative round yet.
Paving the way for this nine-stroke win over Pacific Ridge was junior Liam Weaver, who scored one-over par 37. Sophomores Connor Wray and Dani Girault both recorded their lowest rounds of their season: 38 and 39, respectively. Senior Mateo Sumner was close behind with a score of 40, and sophomore Santi Fuentes rounded out the Islanders with a 46.
These impressive rounds propelled the Islanders to victory 200-209 as they claimed just their third win of the season. If they could keep up the momentum and continue to have at least three players shoot in the 30s, the boys will certainly walk away from more matches with wins.
On Tuesday, April 4, the Islanders were back on their home turf of Coronado Golf Course to compete in a league match against perhaps their biggest rival: La Jolla High School.
Weaver fired a round of even-par 36. This marked the ninth consecutive time the junior shot below 40. Wray and Fuentes both carded rounds of 41. Sumner and Girault rounded out the team with scores of 45.
It was a nail-biting nine holes, and it was hard to tell whether Coronado or La Jolla would end up on top. But one of the Vikings carded a solid round of two-under par, which ended up being the key component to La Jolla’s victory as the Islanders fell just short 207-208. That’s how important every single shot in golf is. One stroke can mean the difference between a win or a tie, whether that’s a three-foot putt or a three hundred yard long drive.
On Thursday, April 6, the Islanders were hungry to win after their narrow loss to La Jolla. They held a mentality of playing against the course instead of against their opponents.
Weaver continued his streak and carded another round of 36. With a differential of 1.06, he is currently ranked 13th in San Diego Section rankings. Sumner shot a 40, and Wray a 41. Fuentes and Girault contributed a pair of 43s to the books. With a total of 203, the Islanders narrowly squeaked by Scripps Ranch’s 204 to card their fourth win of the season in the books.
This win brought the Islanders to a record of 2-4 in the Western League and 4-9 overall. And while this isn’t exactly where the boys hoped to be, the pieces of their individual games are falling into place and they will certainly see more successes in the near future.
Next week, the Islanders have just two matches. The first will be a rematch against La Jolla at La Jolla Country Club and the second will be against Patrick Henry at Mission Trails Golf Course.
