In the varsity girls’ golf team’s first 18-hole competition of the season on Monday, the squad took 12th place out of 22 participants at the prestigious Walnut Mustang Invitational at the California Country Club. Walnut High School, the tournament’s host and defending 2nd place team in all of California, won the tournament by 17 strokes, and local rivals Oaks Christian and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame also played well, placing 4th and 5th respectively.
The San Gabriel Valley Tribune referred to a few tournament competitors, including Harvard-Westlake, as “some of the CIF-SS’ best teams,” while Walnut Head Coach Cecil Wood told the paper, “You can’t be the best if you do not play the best.” Ultimately, being invited at all was an honor for the Wolverines, who did not participate the tournament in 2013.
Freshman star Josie Baker ’18 held her own in her first high school 18-hole event, co-leading the team with veteran Lauren Song’16 at 85 shots needed apiece. The team got some much-needed experience playing on a full course, as they will not do so again until the Mission League Team Finals on Oct. 20.
The Wolverines, still 5-1 overall and 4-1 in Mission League dual matches, don’t have much rest before their next competition. They face off against first-time Mission League opponent Marlborough (5-2 overall, 4-1 in league), in arguably the most important match of the regular season, on Tuesday at the Encino Golf Course at 3:15 P.M. The Mustangs, who topped the Wolverines by one stroke at the Sept. 23 Mission League Mid-Season Tournament, are the only league team aside from Harvard-Westlake with only one loss, as both have beaten all league opponents so far except for Notre Dame. Thus, the winner of this match will have the inside track to 2nd place in the regular season standings.
More on the Walnut tournament can be read here:
http://www.sgvtribune.com/sports/20141001/walnut-high-girls-golfers-want-to-play-best-teams-in-state
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/20141006/oaks-christian-notre-dame-girls-golf-teams-finish-in-top-five-at-mustang-invitational
