Jack Major
Staff Writer
Mark Twain once said, “Golf is a good walk spoiled,” but this is not the case for the Mira Costa girls golf team as they advanced to the next round of CIF
The Mira Costa girls golf team placed third behind Westlake High and San Marino in the first round of the California Interscholastic Federation CIF Team Competition on Monday. This third place finish, led by senior Ashley Kim with a score of 3-under par 69 and senior Lexi Nielsen with a 1-over par 73, advances them to the next round.
Kim, who has played under par in three out of her last four competitive rounds, felt that she had a solid day. She understood the stakes of this tournament and knew she had to play well.
“I played pretty decently and I knew going into yesterday I had to play well for our team to make it through to the next round,” Kim said. “I was putting well and making birdies to keep me at a good score.”
The girls team played today with a winning mentality. According to Nielsen, she believed the only way they would play to her best ability, was if they each truly focused on their strengths and if they believed they could win the tournament.
“It went well today with everyone playing to their strong suits,” Nielsen said. “I’m really happy we advanced through this round and hopefully we all play well this Thursday.”
The team strength on the day was their strong tee shots and solid putting, according to Nielsen. Nielsen felt that her iron-play and putting were the strengths of her game on Monday.
“I hit a lot of iron shots well which gave me the confidence to roll in the birdie putts,” Nielsen said. “I left a few shots out there today, but overall, I felt like I played a solid round.”
Freshman Shani Waite and sophomore Klara Nagy, also contributed to the third-place finish with scores of 76 and 79 respectively. Waite believed the course conditions were difficult on Monday, but believed the team played competitively.
“The greens were challenging and became faster as the day progressed,” Waite said. “Overall everyone did their part and I couldn’t be more happy.
If the Mustangs place in the top three on Thursday at Western Hills GC, they will advance to the preliminary round before the state finals. The Mustangs know that each one of their players must step up their individual games to contribute to the team score, and Kim believes they will succeed.
“I’m happy that we made it through this stage of CIF,” Kim said “I know, going into Thursday, I have to play my own game knowing that my individual score will contribute to our team score and could decide the match.”
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