Pirates tied for the lead after Day 1 of golf championships
SOLVANG -- Mother Nature tried her best to rattle the Orange Coast College women's golf team, but the Pirates showed resiliency with a solid team effort on Day 1 of the 3C2A Women's Golf State Championships on Sunday at the River Course at the Alisal.
Highlighted by four top-20 scores, the OCC Pirates are tied for first overall with a team score of 324, matching Reedley College's 324. Both schools are just one shot ahead of Modesto, who carded a 325, followed by College of the Canyons (344), Mt. San Antonio (352), Sierra (361), Santa Barbara (361), Napa (363) and Allan Hancock (368).
On a day where only nine golfers in the 64-golfer field broke 80 against a tough course and even tougher weather, Coast had two, with top performances turned in by Sofia Ingle and Michelle Khin. Ingle shot a 6-over-par, 78 for the opening 18 holes, while Khin finished one shot behind her teammate with a 79.
Sophie Thibodeau hung tough and carded an 82, followed by Nalani Sam (84), Audrey Crinella (87) and Lilly Thurston (99).
The Pirates are looking for their first-ever women's golf state championship and after relentless rain and an already-saturated golf course, Coast looks poised to withstand a second day of the same factors.
On a day where big numbers were lurking around every corner, the Pirates' top-four scorers of Ingle, Khin, Thibodeau and Sam kept the double-bogeys to just five out of a combined 72 holes. Ingle went double-bogey-free and came through with a birdie on the 8th hole to give her a 38 on the front nine and a 40 on the back for her 78.
Day 2 of the 3C2A Women's Golf State Championships kicks off on Monday, beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the River Course at the Alisal.
