After finishing at the top of the Capital Valley Conference leaderboard last year, the varsity girls golf team hopes to earn another league title this year and advance even further into the postseason.
A little under halfway into their league season, the Tigers remain undefeated with a dominant 6-0 record, keeping the door wide open for a back to back championship.

Coach Corey Fukuman realizes that the girls have a ways to go before the end of the season but still has high expectations for the team after last year’s success.

“We’re not finished yet. We’ve still got a little bit of work to do,” Fukuman said. “I’m very happy. It has been a very good start to the season. [We are going to] try to advance to the masters tournament again like we did last year and hopefully get some girls to qualify for the NorCal tournament.”

The Tigers have now faced and defeated both the Whitney Wildcats and the Ponderosa Bruins who, according to Fukuman, will be the Tigers’ toughest competition this season. Last Thursday, the Tigers overcame the Bruins by one stroke in a 249-250 win at Cameron Park Country Club.

Fukuman believes that defeating the Bruins on their home turf was a huge success for the team.

“[The] match was awesome,” Fukuman said. “I think the best thing is we won on their course. It was huge. It’s a tough course for the girls but they came through and played well.”

The Tigers carry a roster of eight girls and all eight believe that they can be back-to-back champs this year. The team plans to work hard in practice to maintain their undefeated streak.

Senior Abby Hall feels that her teammates, as well as herself, have continued to grow as individual players throughout the season.

“So far we have all done really good and we are all improving every day,” Hall said. “All we have to worry about now is getting into playoffs. We are going to practice hard and play hard.”

Fukuman is excited with what the season has already brought him and his team, and is looking forward to what the rest will have to offer. Seven of eight of his players are seniors, so Fukuman believes sending his girls off with a successful season would be nice for them.

Senior Samantha Lucero looks ahead to the end of the season and is confident in the team’s ability to win league again.

“It has been a fun time especially since we have the possibility of being back to back champs,” Lucero said. “I think another banner is what we all want so we are going to work hard in practices and in matches to get it.”