1 October 2013 COMPETITION: Poly’s girls’ golf competed against a multitude of high schools at this Monday’s King High Invitational.
By Skylar Rains, Senior Writer
Girls’ golf competed in their first invitational this Monday. The invitational was an opportunity for the players to prepare for their upcoming CIF matches. The team’s top five players, Holland Shourds (10), Zoe Zink (11), Savannah Santoro (12), Helen Krieger (10) and Raylene Sivihok (11) competed against various Southern California golf teams in an 18-hole match at General Old Golf Course.
Overall, the team fared well in the competition. Shourds led the team with an impressive 81, but was closely followed by Zink’s 92. Krieger shot a 103: her personal best of the season. This invitational differed from normal girls’ golf games because all League golf matches are nine holes long and have a maximum score of double par on each hole. Also, no two teammates could play in the same group of four girls, while in normal games groups are composed of two girls from one team, and two from the other. This adjustment did not hinder the team; and according to Krieger, “It was really beneficial because it was easier to focus more on the game and I gained a new experience.”
Poly’s overall score was 476, which is quite an improvement from their performance at the invitational last year. In comparison, Poly fared well against some of California’s best girls’ golf teams, including Great Oak High School, a team rumored to produce future Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) golfers.
Despite the setbacks of hot weather and an unusually structured warm-up period, the team agrees that it was a worthwhile experience. The main goal, gaining experience for upcoming CIF competition, was accomplished. The team now knows their strengths and weaknesses and will be working on them in anticipation of the first CIF match on October 28th.