After a second-place finish in the 2015 NorCal Regional at Merced Golf Club, the Santa Rosa Junior College golf team has advanced to the state championship.
The competition consists of eight teams from all over California, including Reedley College, which beat SRJC in the NorCal Regional. The team had a good showing at regionals, storming back in the second round to finish in second place. When asked if a second- place finish was disappointing, sophomore Corey Ghiringhelli said, “We were in fifth place after the morning round and made a great afternoon comeback. I’m definitely satisfied with second place and advancing to state.”
While the favorite to win seems to be Canyons College, the field is wide open, while the Bear Cubs’ expectations are as high as any team. “We would love to win it all; we have the potential to do so, but there is some strong competition from the Southern California teams,” Ghiringhelli said.
This won’t be the team’s first chance to be champions this year; they already won the 2015 Big 8 Conference championship April 21. The team posted a season low score of 368 strokes in the championship round.
With the Bear Cubs firing on all cylinders, the state tournament is coming at the right time for them. However, Kings River Golf and Country Club, where the state tournament is being held, is a course that none of the Bear Cubs have played. The team’s lack of experience on the course could be a big factor against the team, but Ghiringhelli said the SRJC has a practice round on Sunday before the tournament that will give the team a chance to see it in advance.
After the practice round May 10, the state championship kicks off at 8:20 a.m. Monday, May 11. The SRJC men’s golf team will tee off at 8:50 a.m.
