As far as getting a women’s golf team together at Hancock College, John McComish said, the third time was the charm.
McComish is the team’s coach. “I’ve been trying for two or three years to get a women’s team at Hancock together,” he said. “I finally hit it on the third try.”
McComish, who teaches golf at the Rancho Maria course in Santa Maria, spoke just before Hancock hosted Western State Conference Tournament No. 6 at Santa Maria Country Club last week.
“I’ve been coaching the men’s team here for six years,” he said. “This is the first time in 21 years that there has been a women’s team here, as far as I know.”
Hancock posted its best team finish of the year at the tourney it hosted, placing third behind team winner College of the Canyons and runner-up Bakersfield. The Bulldogs shot a season best team score of 374. Each conference team hosts one tournament a year, on Mondays.
Hancock finished in a tie for third with Antelope Valley, with a team score of 389, at WSC Tournament No. 7 at Rio Bravo Country Club in Bakersfield that Bakersfield College Oct. 24.
Freshman Sidney Pruett cracked the top 10 and led the Bulldogs with a 92. She finished in a three-way tie for 10th. Teammate Danica Black notched a top-20 finish, placing 14th with a 94. Khloe Branch (101) and Nicole Lindner (102) followed in the scoring for the Bulldogs.
In contrast to high school golf, in which five golfers score for a team, four players score for a state women’s junior college golf squad. Five golfers score for state junior college men’s teams.
“In women’s golf, you play six players and score four,” said McComish.
Pruett led the host Bulldogs with a season best 86 at WSC Tournament No. 6. She finished tied for sixth.
Pruett is in her third year as a student at Hancock, but is a freshman in terms of golf eligibility.
She played four years of golf at Arroyo Grande High School. When Hancock was able to get a team together, “It actually was a shock to me,” Pruett said shortly before the tournament Hancock hosted began.
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“I just thought (playing for Hancock) would be a fun experience for me. I never took a break from playing golf. Even since high school, it’s been non-stop. I would play with my dad in most of the local tournaments. “
Black posted Hancock’s second-best individual score at the WSC tourney her team hosted, a 92. Branch, at 94, and Trinity Sahagun, at 102, rounded out the Bulldogs scoring.
Black is a freshman who graduated from Orcutt Academy. “I golfed there for two years. Playing collegiate golf locally has been one of my options so far,” she said.
Except for the league finals, high school golf tournaments are typically nine holes.
“Going from nine holes in high school to 18 in college has been a little bit of an adjustment,” said Black.
McComish said Pruett, Black, Branch, Sahagun, Katrina Mata and Ellie Mendibles comprise Hancock’s regular starting lineup. Lindner, Jessie Mendibles and Sophia Regalado are usually the reserves.
Hancock’s coach said coordinating practices for a women’s squad can be more challenging than coordinating practices for a men’s squad.
For one thing, the women’s season is shorter. “It’s just two months,” McComish said. “It’s three months for the men.
“We have a mandatory practice (for the women) every Wednesday at Rancho Maria. There’s more room there to work than there is at (Santa Maria Country Club).”
McComish said it’s always good to have an ample amount of reserve golfers.
“In women’s golf you play with six and count four. In men’s golf, you play with six and count five.”
McComish said that one of his Hancock men’s teams started with six golfers and finished with three.
“But those three all qualified individually,” for post-season tournament play, McComish said.
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