VICTORVILLE – Survive and advance was the goal for every player who teed off in the CIF-Southern Section Central Region Girls’ Golf Individual Qualifier Fr, Oct. 23, at Victorville’s Bear Valley Country Club.
Southwestern League individual champion Maddie Sammon shot 73 (+1) with two bogeys and a birdie to finish tied for third and lead four local golfers who punched tickets to the CIF-SS/SCGA Individual Championship to be held Thursday, Nov. 2, at Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon’s Champions Course, home of the EPSON Tour’s IOA Championship.
Liberty freshman Zihong Sun joined Sammon by shooting 75 (+3) and finished tied for eighth after a round which included four bogeys, a double bogey and three birdies.
Another freshman who advanced from the local area was Vista Murrieta’s Breanna Noble who finished in a tie for 17th after shooting a round of 77 (+5) which included five bogeys, a double bogey and two birdies.
After a round of 79 (+7) which included six bogeys, a double bogey and one lone birdie, Vista Murrieta senior Lauren Sammon advanced by the slimmest of margins (a scorecard tiebreaker) after tying for 22nd in regulation play. Sammon reached the state finals last year after shooting a course record 65 in Southwestern League championship action at Hemet Golf Club.
Two players from 2023 Southwestern League team champion Great Oak missed the scorecard tiebreaker by a shot in freshman Skylar Earle and junior Jessica Li. Earle had one lone birdie and at one point made five straight bogeys in the middle of her first nine while Li recorded six bogeys, two double bogeys and a pair of birdies in her round of 80 (+8). Brooke Carpenter, who had a share of the early lead at one under par, finished with a round of 84 (+12).
Great Oak, as Southwestern League team champion, will play in the CIF-SS Division Three team championship at Riverside’s Jurupa Hills Country Club next Monday, Oct. 30.
Derryl Trujillo can be reached at socaltrekkie@gmail.com.
