By COOPER BROCK
After finding a suitable place to tee off, checking the wind, selecting a club, junior Hayden Hoevenaar lines up and makes a 150 yard drive down the fairway in a loss to West Orange on Sept. 8, at the North Shore Golf Club 197-253.
“It was a strenuous match,” senior Manuel Navarro said. “We played 18 holes, so after the first nine each [additional] hole takes all of your concentration.”
Despite the heavy loss, sophomore Tyler Stokes leaves on a positive note, shot his personal best, a 65.
“On days like these, it’s best to play against yourself and try to improve every match, even if it’s minor,” Stokes said. “Today, I improved by five strokes.”
Hoevenaar, along with Navarro, lead the team in score and experience. Hoevenaar is a three-year starter and has been playing for four years. Navarro is a four-year starter, and has been playing for five years, three competitively.
“The team this year is very balanced,” Navarro said. “The experience of the upperclassmen is balanced by the inexperience of the underclassmen.”
Halfway into the season, the boys are at a 6-6 record. On Sept. 15, at a tri-meet against Circle Christian and Lake Highland Prep the boys played a 164, their best score in three years.
“The tri-meet was really important, for the record and for morale,” Navarro said. “We’ve been waiting for a score like [164] since the beginning of the season.”
Although their losses equal their wins, the boys look positively towards the future.
“We’re going to try and get as far into the post season as we can,” Navarro said. “We’re not going to settle for anything less than round 1 after districts.”
Coach Todd Philips has been coaching the boys for two years and also expects a successful outcome.
“There’s only so much talent out there,” Phillips said. “We’re lucky to have gotten a handful of it.”
The girls team is also progressing. Currently they have a 4-3 season. Although only a five player team, the team uses their effort and determination as compensation.
“We are a pretty new team,” junior Torrey Fuller said. “Although we aren’t the best, we enjoy playing the most.”
On Sept. 13, at the Ventura Country Club the girls had a tri-meet against Winter Park and University and they scored 246 all together, losing to WP by 59, but beating University by 29.
“The tri-meet was a big game for us,” junior Jessica Day said. “Caroline [Rohe] scored her personal best, and I got a 65.”
After finding success at the tri-meet, the girls found misfortune at Lake Nona on Sept. 21. During the match, Day pulled her shoulder muscle, taking her out of the match and possibly the first half of the season.
“I was doing fairly well, but after I pulled my shoulder muscle I couldn’t hit the ball more than 10 feet.” Day said.
More than halfway into the season, the girls look to the future with enthusiasm.
“I love golf,” Fuller said. “ I only joined the team because we needed more players, but I grew to really appreciate the sport for it’s solitude and pace.”
The boys and girls will be playing Edgewater on Oct. 11 at the Orlando Country Club.