For the first time in her three-year varsity career, Kristy Harada owned the low score on the Mater Dei girls golf team.
By getting up-and-down out of a greenside bunker on to save par on the ninth hole, she finished at 3-over-par 36 to earn medalist honors in the No. 1 Monarchs’ 209-237 victory against Woodbridge at Rancho San Joaquin Golf Course.
The Monacrch improved to 3-0 and extended their winning streak, which began during the 2011 season, to 37 consecutive matches.
“My sister used to beat me all of the time,” Harada said, whose sister, Jamie Harada, is now playing for Cal Poly SLO and was an All-County first-team selection after winning the Trinity League championship for Mater Dei last year.
“It (being the medalist) feels really special,” she added.
She had to overcome challenging conditions. Half of the greens on the front nine had been punched and sanded, making it difficult to judge the speed needed for each putt.
“The first couple holes that had the sand, I putted really well, and then I got to the holes that were normal, and then I kept putting them really far,” Harada said. “It was stressful, but it was fun.”
Mater Dei coach Derek Uyesaka said the greens were the reason the scores were so high. Harada was the only player to break 40. Jakeisha Le, the medalist in the Monarchs’ two previous matches this season, added a 41.
“Punching (the greens) always increases the scores,” Uyesaka said. “I know a lot of these girls would shoot lower than the mid-40s. I heard gripes from girls saying they couldn’t putt.
“We always want to do better, but for right now, we are doing just fine.”
