Golf Falls Short Of Their CIF Championship Hopes

On May 16, 2023, San Dimas Varsity Golf competed in division 5 CIF,  at Western Hills Golf Course. With the last-minute change in divisions, the Saints went into CIF with a chip on their shoulder, trying to cause an upset. Going into the tournament, the Saints felt confident in their capabilities, as the team has been improving their skills for the past 2 years.

Going into the anticipated CIF tournament, first-year golfer and Junior, Adrian Nazzal said, “CIF in golf adds a different kind of pressure than other sports do [in that], it requires you to perform exceptionally well, not only for your own benefit but for your teams since it is almost impossible to contribute to your team if you do not perform well unlike in other sports.”

When the Saints arrived at the course, they started warming up on the driving range and putting green. The CIF tournament was a 12:00 pm shotgun start which means all 20 schools tee off at the same time on different holes within the course. The Saint’s groups consisted of 1 San Dimas golfer and 3 golfers from 3 different schools. After the 6 San Dimas groups finish their 18 holes they add up the scores and the team that shot the lowest wins.    

During the beginning of the tournament round, it was looking promising for the Saints as their games were looking sharp. However, as they got into the last stretch of holes, some compounding errors got the best of the Saints. Once all six groups finished, the teams added up the scores and the Saints shot 456, placing 13th out of 20 teams.

    When asked about the growth of this group of golfers, coach Jason Clark stated, “The amazing growth within our team occurred at different points throughout the past two seasons. The first is external growth, gaining the trust of each other. The success we had last year in league and CIF prepared us for this season’s fairly easy undefeated league championship. Second would be internal growth, confidence in abilities, and knowing anything is possible with hard work and dedication. Golf is a tough sport and what these players have accomplished over the past two years is phenomenal. I will never forget this talented group of individuals and know they’ll all be successful in life.”

Looking back on his last season with the San Dimas golf team, Senior, Jacob Thai states, “This year’s golf season was one where I met lots of new people that made me come to many different realizations to help me grow as a person. The things I learned are things that I am incredibly grateful for as they are things that I feel will help after school and after golf, and they are things that I would not have learned without the people around me.” 

As a member of the golf team and a Senior, I can proudly say that the memories I created on the golf team are ones that will stick with me for the rest of my life. I joined the program Junior year after quitting a sport I had played all my life and having no confidence in myself. However, being a part of the golf team created some of my favorite high school memories. I was very honored to be a part of something special and I am proud of every single one of my teammates. Most importantly, I am beyond grateful to have been mentored by a coach like Jason Clark.

I am looking forward to coming back and visiting this program in the near future and continuing to watch them build a legacy.