With no seniors on the roster, the San Benito High girls golf team knows this will be a season of learning and development. However, the Haybalers still expect to remain competitive.
“We’re a young team, but we definitely have a lot of potential,” said Kami Brewer-Pozzi, who is the team’s top player as a sophomore. “I think we’ll be able to succeed, and hopefully by the end of the season we’re averaging in the low 40s (for 9-hole rounds).”
In addition to Brewer-Pozzi, San Benito—which opens the season on Tuesday against Stevenson at San Juan Oaks Golf Club—returns juniors Baillie Figone and Christina Carvalho. Those three players—along with juniors Erin Angulo and Hannah Higgins and sophomore Bailey Carmichael—are expected to make the biggest impact on the scorecard and within the team.
“We want to develop not only with our golf games, but our leadership skills,” Balers coach Carissa Carsey said. “We want a group of players who are learning and practicing the rules and spirit of the game.”
Just a sophomore, Brewer-Pozzi has high expectations for herself, with a goal of averaging a stroke score in the high 30s by the end of the season. That would put her in contention for an individual top-five league finish and potential berth into the Central Coast Section Tournament.
Brewer-Pozzi is representative of the team in the fact that she finds herself really busy during the golf season, as the balance of academics and athletics means a structured and disciplined focus is a necessity. On a regular school night, Brewer-Pozzi said she averages six hours of sleep due to golf and school work.
“There are definitely some late nights,” she said. “The workload is manageable as long as I put my mind to it. But it’s not easy, that’s for sure.”
Brewer-Pozzi likes the makeup of the team, noting the returning players worked on their games in the off-season.
“We’ve all improved since last year,” she said. “Christina and Baillie are looking good for the matches, and we want to help the less experienced girls get match ready as well.”
Every team needs a player like Brewer-Pozzi to set an example simply through her work ethic. In addition to the team practices, Brewer-Pozzi plays in tournaments on the weekends and hits balls on the range outside of practice.
“Kami devotes a lot of time to playing outside of what we do as a team,” Carsey said. “She really does a lot on her own, and she’s very determined to be the best player that she can be.”
Carsey also expects Carvalho and Figone to step up into a leadership role since they played in a lot of varsity matches last season. To stir up more interest in the game with girls in San Benito County, the team has launched a Facebook and Instagram page. In mid-October, the girls—with the help of some adult golfers—will lead a golf workshop for younger kids to get them involved in the game.
