Boys’ varsity golf (3-5) placed second in a tri-way match at Oak Creek Golf Club on April 9, taking the victory over Irvine High but a loss against Northwood High (221-204-224). Although the team cannot proceed to CIF, it looks forward to finishing the season strong and preparing for next year.

“On my part, I was doing well in the beginning, but I started to decline in my score, and I gained a lot of strokes near the end. I still ended up with an okay score,” freshman Matthew Kim said. “I just keep on trying to hit better on the next hole and just not let the previous holes distract me from achieving a better score.”

In stark contrast to other athletic games, the golf match was played in absolute silence despite the tense atmosphere between competitive golfers. Even under the intense sunlight, players carefully calculated each shot’s distance and direction.

“[Golf] is both individual and team,” junior Krishan Patel said. “For high school especially, it’s more a team sport because you need to make sure you’re pulling your own weight to help the team score. But also you’re playing against yourself. You’re not playing against anyone in the end.”

During the season, the players not only develop their swing techniques but also improve their mental game through team drills addressing swinging and putting, in addition to strategizing ways of playing intelligently.

“It’s a growing year. I’ve got four juniors, one sophomore and four freshmen. A lot of these schools, their best players, the players that are shooting low scores, are all seniors,” head coach Wind Ralston said. “So hopefully a couple of my players will develop into being those players that shoot one over, one under, two under. That’s what we need to be competitive in the Pacific Coast League.”