With 19 girls on the roster, five more than last year, San
Benito girls golf head coach Chris Branon has implemented a simple
make-or-break rule to help decide his six-player varsity
lineup.
Any golfer who plays
”
bogey golf,
”
or 9-over par through nine holes, automatically qualifies to the
following competition.
HOLLISTER
With 19 girls on the roster, five more than last year, San Benito girls golf head coach Chris Branon has implemented a simple make-or-break rule to help decide his six-player varsity lineup.
Any golfer who plays “bogey golf,” or 9-over par through nine holes, automatically qualifies to the following competition.
“No one graduated last year,” Branon said on Wednesday. “As it stands right now, I don’t have a one-through-six varsity team. Our practices are all qualifiers.”
With 14 returnees, as well as five additional golfers, four of whom are freshmen, Branon is hoping there is a natural competitive spirit among his squad this season – having too many players for two few varsity spots should provide exactly that.
“It’s gonna be about competition this year,” Branon said, “internal competition.”
Last year’s senior-less squad carded a 428 at the Tri-County Athletic League Finals, and the Lady Balers missed the Central Coast Section cut by 38 strokes. Branon knew at the end of last season that competition for a varsity spot would be intense this year, but he was unaware of the four incoming freshmen, some of whom are only making the team’s competition ladder more fierce.
“Some of our incoming freshmen have golf experience,” returning senior Yumi Kimura said. “The seniors will have to work real hard just to keep in the top. It’s gonna push everyone to work harder.”
San Benito opens TCAL play on Tuesday at Gilroy, and as of last week, only one golfer had cracked Branon’s “bogey golf” rule – freshman Emiley Palmquist.
“They were shocked,” Branon said. “They’re mouths were wide open, especially those four seniors and five juniors.”
Palmquist led the Lady Balers last Wednesday at the TCAL Jamboree when she shot an 8-over 44 at the Ridgemark Golf and Country Club in Hollister.
Although the freshman golfer said a 44 for nine holes is not normal – she usually shoots higher scores, she said – Palmquist enters Tuesday’s league opener as San Benito’s No. 1 golfer.
“I was really nervous,” Palmquist said last week. “I’ve only played nine holes once since I started the golf team.”
Nevertheless, the low score anchored a Lady Balers team that compiled a 201 at the TCAL Jamboree, which placed them fourth in the 10-team league behind Santa Catalina (181), Salinas (184) and Stevenson (184).
“The team is really strong this year,” said Kimura, who carded a 48 for San Benito on Wednesday. “Everyone is working hard and I think we’re gonna do really well.”
Rounding out the Lady Balers last week was Jenny Glosser (54), freshman Morgan DiDomenico (55), LaShea Dailey (59) and Nicole Rianda (60), who Branon said can hit the golf ball a “country mile.” Other golfers expected to make a varsity push include Katie Moeller, Alexis Sanchez and Jordan Davies.
This year’s CCS cut is expected to be a 96 or better for individuals, or a 384 or better as a team. And Branon, glancing at the scores from Wednesday’s TCAL Jamboree, felt everyone on the team should be shooting a 48 over nine holes of golf – a seemingly arbitrary number at first, but a nine-hole average that would propel the Lady Balers to the CCS Championships.
“If we put the right team together,” Branon said, “we’ll be very competitive.”
TCAL Jamboree
Ridgemark Golf and Country Club
Santa Catalina – 181
Salinas – 184
Stevenson – 184
Hollister – 201
Live Oak – 217
Notre Dame – 225
Pacific Grove – 225
Monte Vista Christian – 228
Gilroy – 250
Watsonville – 254
