GCC women’s golf stands in second at state

In large part, the Glendale Community College women’s golf team’s season has all been about its final two days.

After a heartbreaking finish to its first appearance at the California Community College Athletic Assn. Championship last season on the final hole, the Vaqueros set forth looking to return with their same state title-winning aspirations.

Though there’s still another day to be had on the links, the Vaqueros have already been troubled yet again by their final hole.

“We were doing very well until the last hole,” GCC Coach Greg Osbourne said. “When it boiled down to the 18th hole, we had trouble.

“If everyone would’ve bogeyed we would’ve been in first place.”

Instead, the Vaqueros find themselves in second place after the first day of the CCCAA championship, as the Pattraporn Silawanna-led squad carded a first-day 330 on the par-72 course at the Temecula Creek Inn Resort in Temecula on Monday.

Finishing up on the par-five 18th hole that Osbourne described as narrow and surrounded by water, the Vaqueros were plagued and now find themselves 12 strokes behind frontrunner Irvine Valley, which shot a collective 318. Cañada is in third at 340 with San Joaquin Delta rounding out the field at 343.

“We had the course pretty well done, no big numbers, but that last hole just killed us,” said Osbourne, whose team took second at last week’s Southern California Regional and earlier won its second straight Western State Conference title.

In the individual race for a state crown, Silawanna, the WSC individual champion, shot a first-day 77, putting her in third place, trailing defending champion Kristin Grimes of College of the Canyons and Irvine Valley’s Kate Cho, who shot three-over 75s. Glendale’s Vicanda Ma, also an individual qualifier, shot an 85, which tied her for 15th. Teammate Thanawan Sriratchaya shot an 80.

Seven players in the field of 35 shot a triple bogey or worse on the final hole with four scores in double-digits. On the day, 27 golfers carded 81s or higher in the individual field.

Last season, the Vaqueros lost the state championship by one stroke, the difference coming on the final hole of the second day.

No matter the outcome, Osbourne said he’s already plenty proud of his team’s accomplishments.

“Last two years, my team has gone as far as they possibly could,” Osbourne said. “I’m just so proud of the team that we’ve got this far.

“We just have to enjoy ourselves, do the best that we can, it’s our last round of the year.

“We’re gonna do everything we possibly can to win.”

First tee is 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.