Gilroy High boys golf team has tough day at Gilroy GC; Three
shoot team-low 40s.
GILROY – The Gilroy Golf Course was supposed to be a home not too far away from home for the Mustang boys golf team – which hosts rounds at Eagle Ridge Golf Course this season, while neighboring Live Oak uses the municipal links.
But the Gilroy six-man line-up struggled on the familiar playing field – shooting a combined 168 to tie host Live Oak for second place behind leader Hollister (157) by a whopping 11 strokes.
“We didn’t play well at all, especially at a home course like Gilroy GC,” said head coach Eric Kuwada of Monday’s T-CAL tri-match. “Most of the team grew up on this golf course and they played horribly, plain and simple. Our scores were extremely high.”
Senior Chad Brownfield – a three-time winner of the Beatty Memorial Junior Golf Classic that encompasses playing on Eagle Ridge, Gavilan and Gilroy GCs – along with junior teammates Ryan Dinsmore and Thomas Hoshida shot team-low 40s. Completing the Mustang line-up were junior Daniel Perry (43), senior Ale Rodriguez (45) and senior Matt Lofstrom (DQ).
“(Hollister and Live Oak) had some good scores, so course conditions did not play a large role,” said Kuwada, not wanting excuses for the brisk, windy weather on Monday afternoon. “I hate to say it, but I think we were a little overconfident and didn’t realize that we had to play our best golf. I hope this is a learning experience.”
The Mustangs – still in the thick of the T-CAL title chase – hit the links again at Eagle Ridge for a March 19 non-league match against Aptos at 3:15 p.m. before the 36-man league meet March 20 at Ridgemark GC in Hollister.
“To be competitive in the league, we have to go out each week and play our best, no matter the golf course,” Kuwada said. “Luckily for us, this is early in the season. We have six more matches to go and hopefully plenty of time to make up the difference.”
