Torrey Pines High School finished third Thursday at the CIF/SCGA Girls Golf Championship, enabling the Falcons to advance to next week’s State Championship. The top three teams qualified.
It’s the 13th time in 17 years under coach Chris Drake that the Falcons have advanced to the State Championship.
Regarding his latest team carrying on a storied tradition, Drake said, “There is some pressure based on the legacy of our program. They came to Torrey Pines to play golf and be part of a program.”
Torrey Pines won state championships each year from 2010-13, the four-year run bookended by second-place finishes.
High school team golf consists of six golfers. The low five scores count toward the final total with the sixth score only counting if there are ties. Torrey Pines finished at 6-over -par. Two-time defending state champion Santa Margarita won at 8-under. Orange Lutheran was second at 2-over.
Rancho Bernardo finished fourth at 11-over.
Defending individual state champion Zoe Jiamanukoonkit led the Falcons at 4-under 70 on the par-74 Los Serranos Golf Club in Chino Hills. She tied for fourth. Kate Hu shot a 2-under 72 and tied for ninth.
Torrey Pines’ other top three scoring golfers were: Tyanna Jacot (+1); Zoe Salinas (+4); and Alice Koontz (+7). Sehee Sim shot 9-over.
While Jiamanukoonkit and Hu were the Falcons’ low scorers, Drake was particularly proud of how Jacot, Salinas and Koontz finished. All three struggled early (Jacot had a triple bogey on her third hole) but battled, all three closing their rounds with birdies.
“Alice knew she wasn’t playing well but she kept grinding,” said Drake. “Had she decided she didn’t care about the team, that it wasn’t her best day, we’d be done. We wouldn’t move on.”
Regarding how Jacot, Salinas and Koontz kept plugging away, Jiamanukoonkit said, “I’m really thrilled and proud of every single one of them. They really clutched up.”
The State Championship will be played Wednesday at San Gabriel Country Club. Jiamanukoonkit shot a 5-under 66 on the Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach to win last year’s state title as a sophomore.
On the subject of defending her title, Jiamanukoonkit said, “I am confident. I’m just proud of myself to be able to play well today. I hope next week it will go well.”
By her standards, Jiamanukoonkit struggled early Thursday, opening with six straight pars.
“My driver wasn’t warmed up,” she said. “As the weather warmed up, I warmed up.”
Her score sheet was clean, showing four birdies and no bogeys.
In addition to the top three teams qualifying for the State Championship, the next nine individual golfers advanced. Westview’s Apple Ciu and Rancho Bernardo’s Madison Saysanasongkham each missed qualifying by one stroke.