The San Benito Lady ‘Balers left Pebble Beach Thursday a little
disappointed, but then again, they left Pebble Beach after playing
Spyglass Hill Golf Course.
Pebble Beach – The San Benito Lady ‘Balers left Pebble Beach Thursday a little disappointed, but then again, they left Pebble Beach after playing Spyglass Hill Golf Course.
Considered to be one of the most challenging courses in the United States, the Lady ‘Balers battled Robert Louis Stevenson, considered to be the favorite to take the Tri-County Athletic League.
Playing under sunny skies out on the Monterey Peninsula, Stevenson defeated San Benito 169-220.
But getting the opportunity to play the famed course, which hosts the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, the Lady ‘Balers were ecstatic.
“I can’t believe I just played here,” said Katie O’Brien, who played Spyglass for the first time. “It’s amazing. It’s really beautiful. You can’t play anything better than that.”
Sydney Burlison for RLS was the medalist when she shot a 1-under 35 on the front nine at Spyglass.
Marissa Gutierrez carded the lowest score for San Benito with a 45 on the day.
“Spyglass, in general, I love,” said Gutierrez, playing the course for the second time. “I remember it like the back of my hand. It is extremely intimidating, and it’s a lot longer than it looks.
“It’s Spyglass. It’s the best of the best. I’m not gonna put my head down. I know what I need to work on.”
Gutierrez added that she will need to work on her short game – her approach and her chipping. At Spyglass, with “very fast and very slippery” greens, according to coach Chris Branon, Gutierrez said the shot would have to come up short just a little, because it will roll.
“My strokes added up,” she said. “I was crushing the ball, but I got scared with my short game.
“Every shot, you really need to focus; 120 to 50 yards away (from the pin) is where it gets difficult.”
Lady ‘Baler sophomore Alexis Sanchez recorded a 55, while teammate O’Brien shot a 57.
“I was pretty pumped to play but it’s really intimidating,” O’Brien said. When asked what area of her game needs improvement, O’Brien responded, “short game, definitely. That was the thing that killed me. I got in sand traps on almost every hole and that got me.”
While sand hazards came into play quite a bit, not to mention water hazards, the golfers also dealt with a high number of deer.
On the first hole, for instance, three bunkers guarded the green to the left, to the center and to the right. If that wasn’t enough, eight deer grazed beside the fringe of the green, while some even lounged in the bunkers.
Freshman Lashea Dailey shot a 63, and rounding out the Lady ‘Balers, Jenny Glosser and Amanda Frey each carded a 65 at Spyglass.
After Burlison’s 35, Jam Vilairatana shot a 43, Emily Talley recorded a 45, Justine Oh shot a 46, Amanda Deering finished with a 48, and Lauren Brown rounded out the day with a 59.
San Benito, whose group play on Wednesday was postponed, will play in group play on Monday in Gilroy at 3:30pm. Along with the Lady ‘Balers, Gilroy, Live Oak, Salinas and Alvarez will be in attendance.
But more than likely, the Lady ‘Balers will remember the day at Spyglass Hill.
“For high school,” O’Brien said, “we’re privileged to play here.”
