Boys’ golf sees success in their practice regimen up in mid-season games

Senior Ryan Lin and Sophomore Miles Sy line up on the putting green and prepare to hit a golf ball during practice

Utilizing a flexible practice method to hone in individual skills, the Boy’s Golf team has won all four of its mid-season games.

The Falcons started the season strong with four consecutive wins, but the team encountered stronger opponents such as Los Gatos and Palo Alto as the season progressed and has suffered some losses. With a 199-211 loss to Los Gatos on March 27, a 200-216 win to Monta Vista on March 25, a 205-216 loss to Palo Alto on March 20 and a 198-203 win to Los Altos On March 18, the team stands at a 5-2 record in the El Camino League as of March 28.

Even with the two losses, No. 5 player senior Ryan Lin attributes the team’s consistent hard work in the practices for their success in a majority of the games, specifically crediting No. 1 player junior Aidan Smith, No. 2 player junior Oliver Pott and No. 3 player junior Nick Okada as key players that have helped the team find success.

“Ultimately [our top three players] just spend more time playing golf, and that leads to more consistent shots,” said Lin.

Furthermore, in addition to these strong veteran players, Lin noted that an abnormally high number of students tried out for their 12 man team, with around 20 students showing up to the range in comparison to the 16 players they usually see. This increased interest in golf this year has resulted in a larger talent pool to choose from, furthering Lin’s confidence that the team remained strong despite losing key seniors Howard Shu, Sunny Aswani and Cameron Sy.

As the team is midway into the season, they have been focusing on making full use of their practices, which take place at the Saratoga Country Club. With the open nature of golf practices, golfers have the opportunity to individually work to hone their to best target their weaknesses. .

“We did lose some very skilled seniors, but overall, we’re still going to be just fine,” Lin said. “We’ve been hitting a lot of balls at the driving range, go putting and participate in coach Dave Gragnola’s activities where you go on the court and play [against] other people to practice.”

Lin reiterates that the team still remains close and has not lost its overarching team spirit despite the loss of seniors.

“I think our team is still pretty much the same and just as strong because we are still like the same people so everyone’s still very close,” Lin said.