The Malibu High School varsity golf team is looking to continue its already strong start to the season as the Sharks pursue a league title that eluded them last year. After finishing behind Oaks Christian High School last year, the returning players on the team are looking for revenge against not only the Lions, but the entire league as well.
Senior co-Captains Mo Bardovi and Taylor Stein lead this year’s team. Both said they believe the Sharks have a chance to do well this year, as they have a good mix of experienced players and young talent.
“I think we have a great chance of winning league this year,” Bardovi said. “We have some young talent coming in and we always have fun.”
The young talent comes primarily in the form of two underclassmen: freshman Josh Corrigan and sophomore Wynn Jacobson.
“We definitely needed [the addition of Corrigan and the return of Jacobson] and we will rely on them as the year moves on and in the next couple of years,” Bardovi said.
Rich Lawson, a physical education teacher at Malibu High, has handed over the coaching reins to Sean Ryan, a history teacher and assistant football coach at the high school.
Ryan has tried to find a balance between implementing his own coaching philosophies while keeping many of the things Lawson did that were successful.
“I love [the coaching change],” Bardovi said. “I think coach Ryan is a great coach, he connects with the team well and has fostered good team chemistry this year.”
The boys competed in their first match of the season on March 1 against Villanova Preparatory School. The Sharks won the game handily, beating the Villanova Wildcats 286-205. Since then, the Sharks have gone 1-3, with games against teams from such schools as Chaminade, New Jewish, Saint Bonaventure and Westmark.
Because golf relies on individual scoring more so than many other sports, the fact that this year’s team has a number of strong individual players will hopefully spell success for the Sharks. The younger players especially are excited to prove their individual prowess.
“I just want to do my best every round and do my best to help the team win league and go to CIF,” Corrigan said.
While the focus so far this season has been on the younger talent, both Bardovi and Stein are finding major success in tournaments. In their last tournament against Saint Bonaventure, Bardovi and Stein tied for second out of 36 high school golf players in the area. The senior co-captains finished only two under the winning score, which came from a golfer from archrival Oaks Christian.
The boys will have two games this week, one against Viewpoint and the other a league match at Lost Canyon Country Club.