Montoya gets low score on the golf course
The Taos Tigers played 18 holes of golf against Raton and Robertson on Monday (April 4) at Taos Country Club. Española was scheduled to compete but they had transportation issues.
Before Taos could hack away on the course, coach Fambro gave a few words of advice to the golfers: “Hit the ball the least amount of times you need to.”
Then Fambro went over the conditions of the sand traps. The bunkers are still recovering from the winter weather and, as such, any ball that should land in the sandy hazards will trigger a ground under repair rule. The player takes a relief at the nearest point of the bunker, and drops the golf ball within a golf club’s length of that point, no closer to the hole.
The rule came in handy to those golfers who could not avoid the traps near the greens.
Fambro also brought up a recent controversy discovered by the New Mexico Activities Association, where a player was caught using earbuds to receive instructions while on the course.
Eighth-grader Mateo Magee and Lady Tiger Maya Montoya played in a foursome with Zebediah Medina and Creede Chatterley of Raton.
They began with one of the tougher holes at Taos Country Club, hole eight. The eighth hole is a 560 yard par 5. The drive off the tee is blind, obscured by chamisa. Most of the fairway is flanked by bunkers and then the greens are fronted by bunkers as well. If you can hit two powerful shots over 200 yards in a row and stay on the fairway, then all that’s left is a good chip or pitch onto an elevated green, and then a putt.
Most players will have to make the decision of going for a layup or try to land the green on their approach, with all the pitfalls in sight.
Magee seemed to be nervous in his first few swings, and then again on the 10th hole.
Montoya came close to getting greens in regulation on the eighth hole. She scored a bogey on the hole after sinking a mid-distance putt.
Magee had solid swings with his irons on the 10th hole. He was faced with a difficult shot toward the green. His ball rested on the side of a mound, on the downhill portion, beneath his feet. Given the position, it was a good swing that landed the ball 10 yards over the green in the rough. From there, his short chipping game failed him. The ball came off the toe of the club and traveled only a few yards. According to Fambro, Magee’s short game in practice is excellent.
Montoya birdied the fifth hole and parred holes one, two, seven, 11, 12, 13, 16 and 17. She had the lowest score among the boys and the girls, with an 86 (+14).
Perry Kushner had the highest score with a 127 (+55). He did make the 12th hole look easy. He reached the green in two strokes and sank a short putt for a smooth birdie.
Dylan Abrums and Jarod Silva broke 100 (+28) for the first time.
The Taos Tigers will play a golf tournament at Santa Fe Country Club on Monday (April 18).