CdM stays focused to defeat Breakers

Bryce Alderton

The Corona del Mar High girls golf team’s work wasn’t quite done,

even after defeating visiting Laguna Beach for its fourth straight

Pacific Coast League victory Thursday at Newport Beach Country Club.

CdM Coach Mike Starkweather told his players to spend five minutes

on the putting green before leaving, a regular occurrence after

matches.

For the ninth time this season, the Sea Kings performed the drill

with a winning feeling following a 211-265 triumph over Laguna Beach.

Senior Katie Albright birdied two holes en route to earning

medalist honors with a 3-over-par 38 while fellow senior Caitlin

McDonald shot 41 for the Sea Kings (9-1, 4-1 in league).

CdM’s score was three shots off its lowest in team history (208),

set Oct. 7 against Northwood.

Just five strokes separated McDonald from CdM’s fifth scorer,

Michelle Albrecht. Jonna Kim and Katie McKitterick each shot 43 while

Albrecht carded a 46.

Albright, a four-year varsity member, was 1-under after five

holes, but bogeyed the final four holes.

“I hit accurately and had good distance, but [the four bogeys]

were not good,” Albright said. “I could have done better.”

Albright got up and down for a 5 on the par-4 ninth hole after

hitting her second shot right of the green. Her punch shot landed in

the thin rough just above a bunker. She pitched to within six feet

and made the left-to-right breaker.

Several Sea Kings said the increased attention on putting has

helped them this season, including their current five-match win

streak.

Albrecht, a three-year varsity member, said one-putting and many

two-putts contributed to her round against the Breakers (2-7, 0-5),

who won their first match in the program’s four-year history earlier

this season.

The Sea Kings host University, the only team to defeat them this

season, Tuesday, but Starkweather didn’t issue a pre-match speech to

prevent complacency.

He really didn’t need to.

“You don’t try to get them excited,” Starkweather said.

“Excitement tends to take away from focus. I tell them to focus on

the course and not on their games. It’s really hard, though, with all

the aspects of this game.”

The Sea Kings stayed on target, shooting slightly better (42.2)

than their average (42.5) in a season where they have twice broken

their own school record.

Kim, McKitterick, Albright and McDonald have all medaled,

displaying the team’s balance.

“They are consistently in the fairway, knocking it close to the

pins and their short games have gotten so much better,” said

Starkweather, in his eighth season at the helm.

When the Sea Kings aren’t competing in a match, they spend 2 1/2

to three hours chipping, putting and hitting range balls.

“This is the group that has jelled the most,” Starkweather said.

There is also a level of accountability, McDonald said.

“We keep each other in check and make sure everyone is doing what

they need to do.”