The Aragon girls golf team (7-5 overall) ended their season on Oct. 14, placing fourth in the Peninsula Athletic League against six other schools after their last match against Hillsdale (11-0 overall) at Poplar Creek Golf Course, losing 232 to 254.
The team was tied for third place with San Mateo, making this match the qualifying match for the Central Coast Section Playoffs.
“Your mental concentration definitely has to be there and you have to maintain an emotional balance in the sport because it’s just so full of ups and downs,” said sophomore Grace Tao. “Usually, I’m just thinking [about] my corrections and remembering what I have to do to hit it right.”
Freshman Addison Padian scored 59, freshman Bridget Stewart carded a 55, freshman Layla Adle got a 50, Tao came home with a 46 and freshman Sofia Dioli led the way with the lowest score of the team, a 44.
Last year, former P.E. teacher and head golf coach Guy Oling retired from Aragon. Having periodically assisted Oling for the past 15 years, Mike Loy volunteered to be the new girl’s golf coach.
“It’s exciting [and] very challenging,” Loy said. “It’s fun to watch them interact with each other. They weren’t friends when we started and now they’re all friends. I love to see them improve [and] play better.”
“Every time I have trouble, I just go to [Coach Loy] and he always has a solution”
The team is one of the youngest in the league. At the match against Hillsdale, there were five freshmen and one sophomore representing Aragon.
“The [matches] feel super rewarding,” Dioli said. “The coaches always make them super fun. They’re non-stressful because we’re mostly freshmen.”
To perform to the best of their abilities during matches, the team members create goals for themselves.
“My goal for the season was to [consistently score] in the low 50s,” Padian said. “[That’s because] the lower your score is, the better [it is]. I achieved that just by focusing and hitting good shots throughout a match.”
The team’s overall strategy focuses on getting accustomed to each golf course and improving to the best of their abilities. As mostly freshmen, many of the players have little experience playing as part of a golf team.
“This season, I just wanted to play more consistently, play more often [and] develop some more passion for the sport,” Tao said. “I feel like I definitely did [that]. My teammates were really encouraging [along the way].”
“This season, I just wanted to play more consistently, play more often [and] develop some more passion for the sport”
To train for each game, the team meets at Poplar Creek Golf Course to practice different shots. They start off with a quick warm-up, stretch and then go into practice. Each member on the team carries 14 different clubs and learns how to use
them during training.
“Mondays, we’re [in] the short game area [where] we practice chipping and short hits,” Loy said. “Tuesday, we’re [playing] matches. Wednesday, we are at the driving range … doing full shots going through all our clubs. Thursday, [we play] and Friday we’re off.”
High school golf is scored using the best five scores out of a team of six players. Strong team bonds play an important role in motivating every player to do their best and building a friendly environment through mutual encouragement.
“Every time I have trouble, I just go to [Coach Loy] and he always has a solution,” Tao said. “Also, my teammates are really talented golfers so they give me tips all the time.”
Four golfers entered the PAL individual tournament on Oct. 21 at Poplar Creek Golf Course. Tao came in fifth place with a score of 88, Dioli came in sixth place with a score of 93, Steward came in 16th place with a score of 102, and Adle came in 21st place with a score of 105.
The girls golf team looks forward to improving their performance next season.
