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Royal's right on par
So what have those high marks gotten Royal in league play? Second place. Although the Highlanders' scores have been great, their timing has been another story; Royal plays in the same league as Westlake, which brought back every player from last season and is undefeated this year. "Golf is a weird sport in that the opposing team has no direct influence on your team," Misko said. "Between us and any opponent is the golf course. We just try and compete against that. "Westlake is a very, very good team. But do we see them and go, 'Oh, no, here comes Westlake?' No. We have a good time, and at the end of the day all you can do is shake their hand," the coach said. Royal won't win a league title this year, but senior Jenna Fisher hopes the Highlanders will play well in the postseason. "Westlake is good and we all know it, but this team believes it can go far in CIF," Fisher said. "I've seen improvement, because last year we used to lose by 20 strokes to Westlake. Now we're only losing by around 10 strokes. We can do well in the playoffs, but it's going to take everyone on the team playing their best game." Individually, the Highlanders have played well. Sophomore Maile Kim broke a seven-year RHS girls' record previously held by Jessica Abtin when she shot a front nine course-record 37 at Simi Hills last month. "I don't like to look at my scorecard during a match, so I didn't know I had the record until after the last hole," Kim said. "It was a record that I've wanted since last season, so I was thrilled when I got it." Junior Taylor Gould earned the back nine Highlander girls' record this year at the same course with a 39. Tuesday against Newbury Park, Gould earned medalist honors when she shot a 38. Misko has been especially impressed with Gould's play, since she's been doing it without one of her best friends, Lauren Fodor, who's not expected back this season due to an injury. "It's kind of sad because Taylor and (Fodor) were such good golf buddies," Misko said. "It's like golf is in their blood." While Fodor unfortunately hasn't been able to make it back on the links, Fisher's battled back from a knee injury to once again be a top player for Royal. "Thankfully, I didn't need surgery, so I was able to come back for my senior year," Fisher said. "When I first came back, it was tough because I had made a goal of not shooting in the 50s and right away I shot a 54. "The most difficult thing was driving the ball, because I always try to hit the ball very hard, but when I turn too much it really hurts." With Fisher being the lone senior in the starting lineup, the squad has the potential for even more success in 2009. Besides Gould and Kim, other Highlanders that have made an impact include juniors Brittani Sua, Lindsey Lewis, Lauren Carlson and sophomore KatiJo Fleming. Fisher said she'll miss the team's camaraderie when she graduates. "I know all of these girls can (win CIF) next year," Fisher said. "I love this team, and I'm going to miss being on the course with all the girls. I'm also going to miss all the inside jokes we told each other." Fisher, Gould and Kim all agreed the biggest reason for the team's success has been its chemistry. To keep the mood upbeat, the Highlanders have kept up a school tradition of awarding a Froggie Putts Champion, which goes to the person who does a dumb, but often hilarious, feat. "I guess I'm the Froggie Putts Champion because I'm such a klutz off the golf course," Fisher said with a laugh. Misko said the '08 squad has been his favorite, but it has nothing to do with the team's low scores. "These girls make a lot of good shots, whether it's putting, driving the ball or hitting it out of the sand," Misko said. "But the reason I love the team so much is its competitive spirit. Their attitude toward practice and how they get focused for matches has made me a very happy coach." |
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