IRVINE – Spring break came at the perfect time for the Woodbridge boys golf team.
The Warriors have spent a lot of time out on the course in the past month and a half, and all of those tee times seems to have worn them out.
Thursday’s round at Rancho San Joaquin Golf Course was proof of that Coach Tracy Roberts said. The Warriors beat Pacific Coast League rival University, 197-205, but what No. 6 Woodbridge shot on the front nine was 13 strokes above its average for the last month.
“They have been working hard and they need a break,” Roberts said. “The last two rounds they have been playing tired.”
Sophomore Hide Yoshihara and Justin Sheparovich both carded an even-par 36 for the Warriors and shared medalist honors with Ari Gulugian, who also posted a 36 to lead the Trojans.
“It has been a real team effort to shoot as low as we have been,” Robert said.
Shooting a 184, means that the Warriors were finishing on average 4-over par as a team.
Yoshihara leads the Warriors with a 34.5, scoring average, which is 1.5 strokes under par on a course such as Rancho San Joaquin.
“It is very seldom where you see a guy of his age that can flight the ball like Hide,” Robert said. “There is no doubt his leadership by example has been really inspiring for everybody.”
Andy Bhushan’s nine-hole average is 37 and freshman Joseph Chun is shooting right around 2 over par, Robert said.
The Warriors are one of the rare high school team, Robert said that is talented enough to work “visualization and shot making.”
“And it has been a long time since I have had a team where I could do that,” Robert said. “Having done this for 25 years, and I have had great athletes come through, but very seldom to you get a group like this.”
And its what they are doing off of the course that is having the biggest impact on their scorecards, Roberts said.
The Warriors were in Roberts’ classroom at 7:15 a.m., hitting chips off the carpet and watching the early TV coverage of The Masters. Almost everyday, Yoshihara said, the Warriors come to school 45 minutes early to hang out with their coach and talk about golf.
“The chemistry that these guys have, you can’t invent that,” Roberts said.
The Warriors also took a trip up to Santa Barbara to play Rancho San Marcos Golf Course, a trip which a great bonding experience for the team, Roberts said.
“We like each other and we play as a team. We don’t think about individual stuff,” Yoshihara said. “We play as team and that is why we have been so good.”
