TUSTIN – Golf, by design, is an individual game. But Beckman has proved that it takes a team to compete for the Pacific Coast League championship.
Missing arguably its best player for most of the season, the Patriots couldn’t just ride one low score to victory. Everyone in the lineup had to step up and contribute at one time or another until Jennifer Kim was finally declared eligible.
“And I am really proud of the girls,” Beckman coach Penn Bushong said. “They really improved knowing they could not lean on the No. 1 (player). Girls emerged as leaders while she was out.”
Marta Kwak was one of them, and on Wednesday her 2-over-par 37 at Tustin Ranch Golf Club helped the No. 5 Patriots defeat No. 7 Corona del Mar, 206-212, to clinch at least a share of the Pacific Coast League championship.
Corona del Mar sophomore Amy Matsuoka earned medalist honors with a 1-under-par 35. Kim added a 3-over-39 for the Patriots in her first match back in the lineup in more than a month.
It was only just a couple of days ago that a paperwork problem regarding some summer classes Kim took online at JSerra was cleared up, allowing her to finally tee off in Wednesday’s match against the Sea Kings (11-3, 7-3).
“I felt I had a responsibility for the team to play better, so we could win the championship,” Kwak said.
With a victory in the season finale today against Woodbridge at Rancho San Joaquin Golf Course the Patriots (13-2, 8-1) would finish first in the PCL. The last time the two teams met, Beckman posted a 202-219 victory against the Warriors at Tustin Ranch.
“The girls were really motivated this season to work on their games, and they have really persevered,” Bushong said. “We have needed everybody’s score to be in the 43 or below range. We had a lot of team wins this year.”
Wednesday’s triumph was a bit more difficult than most for the Patriots, and not just because they were playing against the rival Sea Kings, who handed Beckman its only league loss so far this season.
The women’s tees were recently aerated, so the men’s tees were used for this match, making the course 400 yards longer for the girls.
“It wasn’t that bad. The big thing was trying to get on the green on the par 3s in one shot because they were so long,” Kwak said. “Then I had to try and make some long putts because I couldn’t get it closer to the hole (off the tee).”
