Same trends holding
Prep golf: Fourth league match brings similar results as previous three
The easy part is over. With four Foothill League girls golf matches now in the books, it’s all set up for a dramatic grand finale with the two final league contests taking place at the tougher TPC Valencia course.
The first four league competitions took place at Elkins Ranch and Balboa Golf Course. As for Tuesday, the results were more of the same at Elkins Ranch in Fillmore.
West Ranch ran away with a fourth straight team victory with an aggregate score of 203, and Golden Valley senior Elisa Pierre medaled again with an even-par 36 to extend her slim lead in the race for the individual league supremacy.
With scores adjusted for par and a high score thrown out (as it will be in final league standings), Pierre’s stroke total of 102 leads by two strokes over West Ranch junior Ashley Mayhall and four over West Ranch’s Mack Bailey.
Pierre is trying to win her third straight Foothill Player of the Year prize.
“Right now she’s not thinking about a threepeat,” said Golden Valley head coach Tony Moskal. “She’s thinking about playing one match at a time and scoring well. Her main focus right now is the first TPC match.”
In the team standings, West Ranch’s league
victory is a foregone conclusion with the impressive consistency of the trio of Mayhall, Bailey and senior Kate Caffrey.
Bailey led the Wildcats on Tuesday with a 37, while Mayhall and Caffrey were close behind with 39s.
“We just keep practicing really hard and we’re trying not to think about how far of a lead we have,” Caffrey said.
With a throw-out score calculated, West Ranch is 124 shots ahead of secondplace Valencia headed into the last two Foothill matches on Oct. 13 and 14.
On Tuesday, Valencia and Golden Valley finished tied for second at 239, with Saugus following at 277, Canyon at 285 and Hart at 292.
Eunice Song was the day’s top performer for the Vikings, shooting a 40. Saugus’ Clara Venger followed with a 42, which was a stroke better than Golden Valley’s Justine Reblando.
While Pierre, Mayhall and Bailey are fighting for the top spot, Caffrey, Song, Venger and Reblando are all in the running for top-six spots in league, which would guarantee a spot in the CIF individual playoffs.
“I have no idea where I stand individually,” Caffrey said. “I’m just focusing on playing the best I can and trying not to worry about individual stuff.”
Elsewhere on Tuesday, Canyon’s Heather Kerr carded a 45, and Hart was co-led by Olivia Kinzie and Paige Heuer, who both recorded 54s.