GHS golf wins season opener
GILROY – A new starting six, a new format for the high school golf season, and some wet weather – no problem for head coach Eric Kuwada’s crew as the Mustangs duffers delivered a tournament-low 159 combined score at Monday’s opening round at CordeValle Golf Course.
The Mustangs finished two strokes ahead of host Live Oak (161) and 15 strokes better than third-place North Salinas (174).
“This was a fair test of how we will play this year,” Kuwada said. “We graduated five seniors last year, so now its up to those juniors and sophmores from last year to elevate their games, to challenge for the league title. It’s a long season and we still have nine more matches to go.”
Senior Chad Brownfield returns to the links for Gilroy – posting a team-low 39 at Corde Valle GC – while teammates Matt Lofstrom (40), Ale Rodriguez (40), Thomas Hoshida (40), Ryan Dinsmore (44) and Daniel Perry (46) all stayed within themselves on a difficult course.
“Corde Valle is not an easy course and, with the weather not cooperating, it made it a little tougher,” Kuwada said. “We still need to play the the other three teams, including defending MBL champ Salinas as well as a strong Hollister squad.”
The new format has Tri-County Athletic League teams playing nine tri-matches with each school hosting others at least three times. There will also be a 36-man tournamnet at Ridgemark Golf Course in Hollister – where all the schools will be represented.
Up next, the Mustangs will play host March 3 at Eagle Ridge Golf Course to Palma and Salinas with a 2:30 tee-off. Then, it is off to the Monterey Bay Invite on March 10 at the Salinas Country Club.
