Girls’ Golf Preview: La Cañada, Flintridge Sacred Heart enter new season confident
There’s a sense of excitement surrounding the La Cañada High girls’ golf team.
Derrick Williams is the program’s fourth coach in as many years. However, the Spartans appear to have a talented lineup of returners and some promising newcomers that could fare well in the Pacific League and qualify for the CIF playoffs in October.
“I think we are all very optimistic heading in to the season,” said Williams, who takes over for Dennis Ballard and is the school’s boys’ and Glendale Community College women’s coach. “There’s quite a few good players and it’s one of the reasons I took the job in May.
“We’ll have high expectations and there’s so much untapped potential. It’s just about working with them more on things like course management. When you can see and play the course better, it will translate into more success.”
Williams is the reigning All-Area Boys’ Golf Coach after leading the Spartans to their 13th straight Rio Hondo League championship in the spring.
La Cañada’s lineup will feature senior Rachel Oh, junior Maddie Kang, sophomore Ai Ishida and freshmen Christina Oh and Lena Kim. Kang was the All-Area Girls’ Golfer of the Year in 2015.
The Spartans finished fifth in league last season. The league will have a different look to it after San Marino, which won league last season, chose to become a freelance squad. Arcadia finished second last season and Burroughs and Crescenta Valley placed third and fourth, respectively.
Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy showed signs of improvement last season after finishing last in league in 2015.
Under third-year coach Ric Moore, the Tologs will seek continued improvement with a squad featuring six seniors.
“Having so many seniors, I think, will help us because they are all battle-tested and they are comfortable with the way they’ve been playing,” said Moore, a former head professional at Chevy Chase Country Club in Glendale. “They have become more comfortable with the schools we are playing in league and the courses.
“We feel like we can move up to third or fourth in league, so we’ll shoot for that. It’s just about staying relaxed and focused. If you can do that, then your performance will improve.”
The lineup will likely feature seniors Chloe Walters, Skye Henry, Shanley Galanto, Darcy Michero, Genesis Li and Reese Bauer.
Twitter: @TCNCharlesRich
