Baler boys likely to be contenders
From top to bottom every player on the San Benito High golf team
is capable of breaking 40 on a regulation 9-hole course or 80 for
18 holes. And if it weren’t for league powerhouse Palma this year’s
Balers squad would be the odds-on favorite to capture the Tri
County Athletic League title.
Baler boys likely to be contenders
From top to bottom every player on the San Benito High golf team is capable of breaking 40 on a regulation 9-hole course or 80 for 18 holes. And if it weren’t for league powerhouse Palma this year’s Balers squad would be the odds-on favorite to capture the Tri County Athletic League title.
“I don’t want to make any predictions, I just want the kids to enjoy themselves and get better,” said first-year head coach Brian Silva. “But I do think they are capable to win everything – they just need to believe it too, not just me.”
Getting a team with freshman golfers in the No. 1 and No. 2 spots – although they are very talented – is easier said than done, according to Silva.
“So far, we’ve finished second in every event that we’ve played in,” Silva said. “We have three freshman and three juniors. They are all good but we are a little rough around the edges. But we should still contend for the TCAL title.”
Leading the way for the six-man Baler golfer team is freshman Nathan Winn. In the early going so far Silva has been most impressed by his maturity and level-headedness on the golf course.
“He’s really mature mentally in his game,” Silva said. “He doesn’t make bad decisions too often.”
Although a freshman, Winn has already played in a number of junior tournaments for a number of years and his game is solid all around, according to his coach.
“He’s usually in the high 70s or low 80s for 18 holes,” Silva said.
The luxury that Silva has in his first season is that everyone in the lineup can put up solid numbers like that on any given day.
One of those players is freshman Will Cross – a player with less than a year of experience who routinely shoots in the mid-to-high 30s for nine holes.
“He’s raw. He was really into baseball and then he fell in love with golf,” Silva said. “Golf just seemed to instantly be a natural fit for him. He’s got a smooth swing and he hits the ball a long way off the tee. By the time he is a senior I think he’s going to be incredible.”
This season the biggest challenge for Cross on the links has been his short game.
“He’s a little rough around the edges and inconsistent around the greens, but that’s easy to overcome, in time,” Silva said.
In the No. 3 spot this year for the Balers is returning junior Joey Amaral. Silva has been most impressed with his solid, all-around game as well as his tenacity on the course.
“He’s a scrapper out there and he never gives up,” Silva said. “He gets out there and tries his best. He’s capable of shooting good rounds too. He’s got a great attitude.”
The second junior player on the Balers team is Marcus Synegal, who plays in the No. 4 spot. Like Cross, Synegal also started out playing baseball but after taking a job at Ridgemark four months ago his interest in golf soared.
“He hits it a mile and has a good all-around game,” Silva said. “He’s already made big strides in his short game.”
Although he has little experience on the links, Synegal is already consistently shooting in the low 40s for nine holes.
Playing in the No. 5 spot is junior Derell Aton, another player with the skills to break 40 for nine holes.
“Even when he’s down and out and not playing he still stays focused,” Silva said.
And most recently he hasn’t had reason to be down on his golf game.
“He was taking the club back too far to the inside and hitting weak hooks. Now he’s taking it straight back and he’s seen huge improvement in his game,” Silva said.
Ironically, the team’s No. 6 player also happens to have the most natural golf swing on the team, which is why Silva is expecting big things in the future out of Justin Palmquist.
“His swing is textbook – the prettiest swing I’ve ever seen in my life,” Silva said. “He’s only 14 now and I think he’s trying to do a little too much. But watching his swing I don’t see how he doesn’t shoot even par every time. On the range he belts it out there, but he’s struggled a bit on the course. He’s also a good kid and very fun to be around.”
