ANAHEIM In the two decades that Mike Starkweather has been coaching girls golf at Corona del Mar, he hasn’t seen anything like this, two of his players tied for second at the end of a CIF tournament.
“I have never had two girls this good,” Starkweather said. “It is a delight to have them. They are amazing.”
On Monday, Alyaa Abdulghany and teammate Amy Matsuoka both carded a 2-under-par 69 at Dad Miller Golf Course and shared second place with Annika Gino (Saddleback Valley Christian) and Vera Markevich Jr. (Xavier Prep).
But Abdulghany claimed second in the CIF-SS Southern Individual Regional, edging third-place Matsuoka by one stroke on a card off. Markevich Jr. and Gino were awarded fourth and fifth on a card-off.
Kailie Vongsaga from Diamond Bar won the tournament with a 68.
Abdulghany, though, came within a few inches of winning, leaving three putts on her final six holes just short. She said she just couldn’t seem to dial in the speed on the well traveled greens full off ball and spike marks. She need 29 putts to complete her round.
“And that is not that good. I am happy that I shot under,” Abdulghany said. “But I am unsatisfied that I couldn’t shoot as well as I could have. ”
Abdulghany was 1 over after her first nine, but she went to 2 under par after she hit a soft 8 iron 123 yards into a breeze to land within 4 feet of the pin on the par 4 No. 17. She rolled in the short putt to card her third birdie on the back nine.
Abdulghany and Matsuoka headlined what turned out to be a very successful day for the Pacific Coast League, which put five players in the top 15.
Woodbridge freshman Yuki Yoshihara was the leader in the clubhouse for about 20 minutes after posting a 70.
Yoshihara eventually dropped into a tie for sixth, one shot ahead of University senior Ellen Takada and Beckman junior Cameron Lee.
She eventually dropped into a tie for sixth, one shot ahead of University senior Ellen Takada and Beckman junior Cameron Lee. They both posted an even-par 71 to end up in a seven-way tie for ninth. Takada closed with a birdie on the par-5 18th after her approach stopped a foot from the pin.
Contact the writer: ddottore@ocregister.com
