Wearing bright green and black socks, freshmen Amy Gunther and Kendall Guetin were easy to notice during Wednesday’s Blossom Valley Athletic League’s golf championship at Santa Teresa Golf Course.
And thanks to their play, that wasn’t a bad thing.
The two Live Oak freshmen didn’t advance beyond the BVAL championship stage, but they didn’t need to. In their first year in a competitive golfing atmosphere, the two played beyond their years.
“Well these two girls are just outstanding individuals that have worked hard all season,” Live Oak head coach Mike Rubino said. “It’s amazing that we have two freshmen that are doing this. The outlook for the future is good if these girls keep doing this. They are going to be stars.”
During Wednesday’s league finals, both girls held their own with a field filled with senior golfers.
“I was like really nervous because I was like ‘oh my gosh’ I was going do bad,” Gunther said. “But then I remembered they set us up with everyone that has gotten the same average scores throughout the season. But I was playing with seniors so I though it was kind of scary. I was nervous at first but then I picked it up at the end.”
Gunther finished her day with a flurry. On the back-9, Gunther shot pars on 16 and 18. And on 17, Gunther knocked in her first birdie – thanks to a long 20-foot putt on her fourth shot – to finish at 106 or 35-over par. Teammate Guetin finished one shot behind her at 107.
“I was thinking that it was going to be a par 4,” she said laughing. “I looked back at the card and it was five. And that was my first time ever getting a birdie.”
She continued, “Well, my mom always says to start strong and finish strong.”
Guetin also had a strong finish to the day, shooting a 50 on the back-9 after struggling to find her shot on the first nine holes. Despite playing twice as many holes as normal, Guetin became stronger as the day went on, she said.
“I played this golf course on Sunday and it took me four hours,” she said. “It took longer but it was easier today. Just playing it before helped. I got the experience. I had fun today.”
Despite a strong final few holes, the 18-holes became tiring for Gunther, she said.
“It’s really long,” Gunther said. “We previously played here maybe a week ago against Santa Teresa. I knew the first nine but I didn’t know the last nine holes. It’s really long, it really is. It’s like playing two games. It’s really tiring.”
That 18-hole experience only benefits them in the long run, Rubino said.
“I think it’s just building up their endurance and concentration on all 18 holes,” he said. “It’s a really big deal for these girls. The future is college scholarships. There are so many opportunities for these girls, many more than the boys.”
Despite not advancing to the Central Coast Section championship, the golfers were proud of what they accomplished over the fall season.
“This year is going to help me a lot because I know what it feels like to be in a competitive game and how hard it is to do really well,” Guetin said. “If I keep playing I can improve a lot and come out really strong.”
And the future should only be bright for the two freshmen, that have golfing in their blood. For both Acorns, golf is in the family.
Gunther, who first learned how to swing a golf club at six years old, just started to play competitively this year and hopes to do better next year, she said.
“It’s in the family,” she said. “It’s a family tradition to play golf. I didn’t really do golf as much until freshmen year, so I started playing a year ago … I’m going to try out for the team every year. I’m ready to come here next year. I’m going to try harder next year so I can come here again.”
Guetin will continue to aim for a college scholarship, she said.
“I want to go to college and play golf in college,” she said. “This is a big thing for me. It shows that I’m a pretty good player and I can improve in my four years.”
Success should keep coming for the pair, Rubino said.
“I think they are just outstanding individuals with tremendous character,” he said. “I just wish them the best in all their future golfing endeavors.”
