On Monday, Sept. 12, the girls’ varsity golf team gathered at the Meadow Club to compete against San Marin High School and left with a dominating score of 226-170. While the team was also scheduled to play San Rafael High School (SR), SR did not meet the required number of players and were forced to forfeit the match. Regardless, senior and team captain Hannah Knopping was thrilled to witness her teammates’ adamant determination. 

“Golf is a game of inconsistency, so I think it’s important to assure each other as a team that it’s okay to hit a bad shot. Just find sustainable and successful ways to recover from these bad shots. As a golfer, in general, it’s hard to recover,” Knopping said. 

Knopping further applauded sophomore Taylor Bridges, who stood out to many of her teammates, for going above and beyond during the match. 

For holes two and three, Bridges scored five strokes, however she immediately bounced back to her rhythm and hit fours and threes for the remainder of the match. Using her focus and determination, Bridges gracefully stroked threes in the last two holes, setting her team in the right direction. In the lineup followed by Bridges, junior Imani Kathiriya scored a total of 45 strokes. 

“On the first and last holes, I had a birdie, so that felt really good. I [also] played with Imani, we had a couple ups and downs, but for the most part, we were solid,” Bridges said. 

Sophomore Chloe Branson carried the subsequent group with a total of 44 strokes. Her teammates, junior Gracy Rider and sophomore Katelyn Van Dusen, trailed closely behind with 45 and 48 strokes. Knopping ran solo, scoring a total of 48 strokes. 

Head coach Dean Rider expressed his sentiments to the team and acknowledged their vigorous effort throughout the entirety of the match.

“[The team] was hitting a lot of shots on the green and driving it beautifully, setting themselves up for a good score. I feel very lucky to have a team that has come together so nicely and all the players had a very strong game,” Rider said. 

Knopping also commended the team for strategizing prior to their match and emphasized the importance of having devoted teammates that can form close relationships with each other. 

“I think it’s difficult because golf is traditionally an individual sport, but I think we’re very cohesive as a team. One of my favorite things about golf is getting to know the players from the other teams, which is very unique, and not something most sports get to do,” Knopping said. 

The girls intend to use this victory as fuel for the remainder of the season and are preparing for their match against Tamalpais High School on September 19 in an effort to reclaim league domination.