Park’s year ends at CIF
GLENDALE — Crescenta Valley High senior golfer Katie Park entered Thursday’s CIF Individual Final and Women’s Southern California Golf Assn. qualifying tournament with the dual goal of winning a CIF championship and advancing to the Southern California Championships.
Neither was to be for Park, an All-Area first-team selection, who tied with four others for 60th place among the 88 golfers competing, missing the cutoff of 78 by four strokes with a 10-over-par 82 at Talega Golf Club in San Clemente.
Reigning All-Area Girls’ Golfer of the Year Emily Tubert of Burroughs won the tournament with a 67, claiming her first ever CIF title.
“My short game was a little bit off and my long game was off,” Park said. “I would hit my shots solid, but my aim would be off. It was just an off-day.”
Park had no birdies on the day, finishing with seven bogeys and one triple bogey. The latter came on the 13th hole, where Park’s day began.
“I was trying to forget about it and just move on,” Park said. “It didn’t affect me that much, but I guess it did a little bit.”
Tuesday marked Park’s third straight appearance in the CIF Finals, where she finished in seven-way tie for 53rd with a 10-over-par 82 at Mountain Meadows Golf Course in Pomona last season.
“She didn’t play as well as she wanted to play and she couldn’t put her finger on what the problem was,” Crescenta Valley Coach Ken Johnson said. “It wasn’t necessarily one little thing that caused her problems, it was a little bit of everything.”
Park advanced to Tuesday’s final after carding a four-over-par 76 to finish tied for 25th at the CIF Southern Section Individual Regional at Soule Park Golf Course in Ojai on Nov. 3.
Tubert, a senior, edged Veronica Valerio of Temecula Valley by two strokes to claim the first individual CIF title in any sport in Indians’ history.
“I just went out there and played,” said Tubert, who registered five birdies and 13 pars. “I didn’t think about the score at all, and when I came in and added it all up I had a 67. I was really relaxed. I was out there singing and dancing and having a good time.”
— Jeff Tully contributed
to this story