The Malibu High School (MHS) golf team has experienced an uptick in members teeing off for the squad this season and has the wins to show it.
The Sharks began the season with two top finishes after not having enough players to participate as a team in golf meets last season.
The Sharks opened the season on March 10 by placing first in an event in Olivas Links Golf Course Ventura. One week later, they had the number one finish at a meet at Elkins Ranch Golf Course in Fillmore.
Malibu has six players taking to the green this year and five more who practice. Last season, only three students were on the team. The lack of golfers meant the Sharks could compete in events, but not as a team.
MHS golf coach Cindy McConnell said Malibu will be able to submit the required five individual scores for team totals at each of its events this season. The second-year coach said she is not completely sure what made students want to play on the golf team this season.
“I think a lot of the kids probably didn’t think there was going to be a golf team, so they probably committed to different sports,” the former golf pro explained.
McConnell said she is happy to have a team this season.
She said returning golfers Quincy Allen and Daniel Haines, who finished the 2015 season as the Frontier League’s top ball-strikers, have high hopes for the six-match season.
“We are going to try to win league. That’s our goal,” she said.
MHS won its season-opener by three shots. The Sharks scored a total of 323 stroke count, outlasting second-place Fillmore High’s score of 326. Haines led MHS and the event with 52 strokes. His teammate, Graham Knox, came in second with 53. Luca Marinaro had 59, Hunter Nelson had 75 and Chase Murrell had 84.
McConnell said the team did great.
Allen did not compete in the six-team event.
“They did fantastic,” she said. “It’s good we were able to win without Quincy.”
Malibu tallied 441 strokes during their March 17 top finish. Malibu was led by Allen’s 78. Haines shot an 81, Knox an 85, Marinaro a 91 and Murrell a 106.
The two consecutive wins have given Malibu a total of 10 season points, tops in the Frontier League.
McConnell said the new golf team members are great assets — some of them have played golf before.
“They are really enthusiastic,” McConnell said, adding that the players with prior golf experience have been working really hard in practice. “They are trying to improve every day.”
McConnell said she hopes the interest in golf amongst Malibu’s youth continues to grow.
“It’s great to see the interest there and getting them to play better,” she said. “I hope we can eventually have a girls team.”
