Girls Varsity Golf team lost to the Convent of the Sacred Heart School 4-1 this Tuesday, bringing their record to two wins, two ties, and three losses.

Going into the game –– their seventh this season –– the girls felt confident as they were the second ranked team in the Ivy Prep League, right below Riverdale Country Day. “We are on level with the other golf teams in our league and we are set to compete in NYSAIS later this season,” Victoria Woo (9) said. 

Despite the team’s optimism going into the game, the girls struggled to keep up with the more experienced Sacred Heart team. The team is very new, as a majority of them are freshmen, so they often struggle to connect with one another as other teams do, Co-Captain Audrey Carbonell (12) said. Golf is more of an individual sport, so players don’t have that support of their teammates during their match, she said.

“Throughout the match I was stressed at first, but then as I continued to play, I learned strategies to help me move forward, Bea Monti (9) says. 

The winner of each game is determined by a ruling system known as match play. This is when each player is matched up with an opponent of a similar skill level and competes to win holes. The two competitors play at least five holes and whoever shoots the lowest score per hole earns a point. If the score is tied, each player receives half a point for that hole. The first competitor in their match to get five points wins their game.

Golf is a game that requires tremendous amounts of focus — something that has negatively impacted the team, as many of the players overthink while they compete, Woo said. Staying focused and composed throughout the game is a focal point that the team needs to work on if they want to beat other schools.

Although the Lions struggled against the Sacred Heart, Co-Captain Sofia Filardo (11) had some outstanding shots, and her chips near the green helped her save some of her holes, Carbonell said. 

“The goal for the rest of the season is to  play more consistently and the only way to achieve that is practice practice practice!” Surhoff said. The players have strong chemistry and a lot of support for one another during matches. “Weak points have been experienced, but we are quickly gaining more experience and confidence as the season progresses.”