Baler boys golf team renews rivalry with Palma, TCAL
opponents
First-year coach Reggie Synegal is teaching the San Benito High
boys golf team the basic fundamentals as any coach would – respect,
punctuality. But after previously coaching a true team sport in
basketball at both Live Oak and Independence high schools the past
four years, Synegal will try to instill a somewhat unfamiliar team
structure into an otherwise individual sport.
Baler boys golf team renews rivalry with Palma, TCAL opponents
First-year coach Reggie Synegal is teaching the San Benito High boys golf team the basic fundamentals as any coach would – respect, punctuality. But after previously coaching a true team sport in basketball at both Live Oak and Independence high schools the past four years, Synegal will try to instill a somewhat unfamiliar team structure into an otherwise individual sport.
He’s not going to make the sport of golf less individual, mind you, but instead more about a team.
“The kids are adapting to the team concept. I think that’s the one thing this year that will make a big difference for us,” Synegal said. “When we practice, it’s great for the guys to go out and play together and look at lines of putt and how the green breaks. I think that’s gonna help in the long run. What one kid sees from another kid can be advantageous.”
In golf, tips and information on how to improve your game, your shot, can be found just about anywhere – perhaps more than any other sport. And Synegal feels that if his team openly talks about their shot and what they’re going to do with their shot, not only will the team come closer together, but it’ll also breed better golfers.
“They’ve played the game for so long that they can help each other too,” Synegal said.
“That’s what we’re trying to do with our guys. They’re picking up the team concept and they’re really starting to play golf together.”
Playing together could be the difference that separates San Benito from Palma, which finished first at every Tri-County Athletic League Tournament last year, third at Nor Cals and fourth in the state.
“Palma has a great unity and that’s something we should try and make better,” said ‘Baler Derell Aton.
Through two TCAL Tournaments already this year (Thursday’s third TCAL Tournament took place after The Pinnacle’s press time), the Chieftains have compiled matching 186’s to take first place both times. San Benito shot a disappointing 214 in the TCAL opener to finish second but returned to form on Monday at the Salinas Golf and Country Club with a 195.
“I think we all need to play well and at the same time,” said Will Cross, who carded a 39 Monday. “We need to play as a team rather than individuals.
“We all need to work together and look it as a team sport than an individual sport.”
Who knows? The missing link may come from a tip by a fellow teammate, such as ‘Baler Nathan Winn’s visualization of railroad tracks while putting.
“Just a couple of strokes,” Cross said. “I look at it as motivation, just thinking of beating Palma that one day …”
It is, more or less, a two-horse race in the TCAL between San Benito and Palma, both of which returned just about every player from last year’s roster.
The ‘Balers will be led by Cross and Winn, while other returnees include Marcus Synegal, Joey Amaral and Aton. Newcomers Diego Navarro and Blake Stephens fill out the varsity roster.
“They constantly tell me we can do better,” Synegal said. “When kids tell you stuff like that it makes me feel really good to be out there with the guys.
“We practice Monday through Friday. But the guys are out on Saturday, on Sunday. As a coach, that’s huge when they dedicate that much time.”
The ‘Balers fell just two strokes short of qualifying to last year’s Central Coast Section Boys Golf Championships, although both Winn and Cross made the trip as individuals.
This year they’d like to qualify as a team, though, and they’re already further ahead of where they were at this point last season. Aside from their TCAL-opening score of 214, the ‘Balers have been consistently carding sub-200 scores, and even fell just four strokes short of Palma in the season opener, 190-194.
Although they did finish runner-up to the Chieftains in every TCAL Tournament last year, San Benito didn’t begin to post their low marks until the tail end of the season, unlike this year.
And having Palma to shoot for, almost like a rabbit to run after, San Benito is sure to never become complacent.
“It helps because I think the underdog works harder,” Aton said. “If you’re up at the top, you may take it for granted. It makes everyone work harder.”
