Senior Uttara Sivaram was the only SHS golfer to qualify for the individual CCS tournament last month, with younger golfers falling short of qualifying. At CCS, Sivaram started out strong but fell short of her goals on a tough course.

“The first nine holes went really well for me,” said Sivaram. “The back nine was torture, though; it seemed as if my ball was magnetically attracted to every tree on the course.”

Sivaram competed in CCS on Nov. 2 at Rancho Cañada in Carmel. Although she had been to the tournament before, the weight of placing was still not lifted from her shoulders. Sivaram scored in the mid 80s.

“There’s a bit more pressure involved with CCS, especially since every single stroke will mean a lot more,” said Sivaram. “I [was] a bit nervous, but I’ve gone to CCS twice before, and I [knew] the course. I [knew I would] be OK.”

In the weeks leading up to the final tournament, Sivaram worked on her swing.

“I’m playing a little more conservatively,” said Sivaram. “The game is ultimately about scoring, so there’s really no reason to take undue risks.”

Sophomore Samika Kumar and freshman Hálle Champion didn’t qualify for CCS at league finals at the Coyote Creek Golf Course on Oct. 27.

“I think I did [my best], but it was not the best I have ever done,” said Champion. “On one hole, [I did not do well] because I was distracted and that messed me up.”

The weather seemed against the tournament as winds hindered some of the girls’ performances.

“It was kind of windy, so it would pick the ball up and move it to a different direction,” said Champion. “The grass was very wet, too, so we had to really hit underneath the ball.”

Sivaram, who admits that it is “a bit lonely” attending CCS by herself, remains confident that the rest of the team will reach the tournament some day.

“Hopefully they’ll be inspired to make CCS in the next couple of years,” said Sivaram. “I know for sure they are capable of it.”

Although this year’s CCS was not Sivaram’s best match, she still benefited from attending the event.

“The course was drenched, so I didn’t really get maximum yardage,” said Sivaram. “At least the weather was nice, and I got a day of Vitamin D instead of homework and classes.”