PLACENTIA – Brittany Park was shocked when she got the news.
She knew the Valencia girls golf team had quite a bit of potential this season, but she had no idea that the Tigers’ level of success would be historic. In just the first three weeks of the season, the No. 10 Tigers set two school records.
“I didn’t know that we could do it. But we did,” Park said. “And I am really proud.”
On Thursday, Park and her teammates equaled the course record they set at Alta Vista Country Club in the first match of the season in beating Tustin, 206-338, in an Empire League match in Placentia.
Last week, the Tigers carded the lowest nine-hole score in the 15-plus-year history of the program, finishing with a 184 in a victory against Western at Dad Miller Golf Course.
“It’s just (a result of) a combination of great players,” Park said. “We are all equally good in skill and when you combine that, it makes us good as a team.”
Despite playing on greens that had been punched the day before, Park posted her best round of the season on Valencia’s home course, shooting a 2-under-par 35 to medal for the Tigers (8-0, 4-0).
Once landing on the green, players had the option of picking up the ball and adding two putts to their score, or they could also choose to the play the hole out. That is what Park decided to do.
Even though the putting surface was far from perfect for this match, Park still birdied three holes. It helped that she was able to stick most of her approaches inside 10 feet.
“Into the green today, she was really good. She was tight,” Valencia coach Mark Castillo said. “On a day like today, if you aren’t hitting it tight, you aren’t going to make a birdie.”
She was 3-under when she walked onto the ninth tee, but her approach on the uphill, 481-yadr par 5 landed in the bunker and she eventually carded a bogey. Still, she lowered her scoring average to 37.3.
“I just tried not to play too well (Thursday) because if I try to play well, it always ends up backfiring on me,” Park said. “I just try to relax and have a good time. I stuck a few close and they went in. Today was just a lucky day.”
