The glistening, white golf ball lays there on the green, eager to complete its final task. With one swift motion of the putter, the ball rolls slowly, pulling closer and closer to its ultimate destination. “Dink,” the ball finds the bottom of the cup, and the golf team pulls away with another win. After a tough loss to an accomplished Chadwick roster by just four strokes in the beginning of the season, the varsity golf team has gone above and beyond to ensure that they never lose another match. Holding a record of 6 and 1 in the Prep League, the team has exceeded all expectations set after last year’s season, possibly creating the greatest golf team Poly has had in recent years.
Last year, the golf team had only three players, which prevented them from participating in any matches. This is because the league requires five golfers to compete. Junior Cici Liu stated, “Last season, we only had 3 people. Me, Jerry [Fu], and Annabelle [Chan]. We needed 5 people to compete in a match, so we did not have enough people to play. Because of this, the other team had an automatic win, but this year, we have a full team so we are able to participate.”
In the Prep league, different courses present different challenges. The most challenging being the De Velle course in Burbank, known for its extremely tight fairway and a strenuous amount of ruff, where golf balls seem to disappear. “That course was not manicured very well. They have not done a lot since the fires. They had fallen trees everywhere making it really difficult,” stated Heach Coach Dale Rasmussen.
When asked about challenges during the season, the entire team found it difficult to recall any. Senior Jerry Fu said, “We are doing our job. We are putting up the numbers. We are having a good mentality and we are cheering each other on. There is nothing I would say that is a major problem because we are doing what we need to do and we always look to get better every day.”
At this point in the season, the team has developed a strong sense of confidence, having the feeling of victory pulsing through their veins. In each match, there is always somebody to take the lead and carry the team. “Every match somebody steps up and plays well. We have had four different people be low, but there is always somebody to pick them up,” said Coach Rasmussen.
With one goal in mind, the team will try to make and win CIF, but first they must defeat their rivals at Chadwick, who have become very successful in recent years. “Our team goal, ultimately, is to make CIF and beat Chadwick by four, to make up for our loss,” freshman Kaiden Thorell stated. The future looks bright for this golf team, and all we can hope is that they stick to their goal because they have the capability to achieve it.