Prep golf: Hart group plays through

The golf course at Las Posas Country Club in Camarillo pushed scores higher at Monday’s CIF-Southern Section Northern Individual Regional.

But it didn’t push any of the Hart girls golfers out of the individual postseason.

All four Indians taking part in the event made the cut, led by senior Brenna Carlson’s 5-over 76. They will now take part in the CIF-SS Individual Final, which will be held next Monday at La Purisima Golf Course in Lompoc.

Hart senior Amanda Corr shot a 77, while sophomore Jamie Corr shot an 80 and senior Nikki Prichard carded an 85, which turned out to be the cut.

Three other locals competed but none advanced. Saugus senior Nicole DeFrancisco fired a round of 92, and fellow senior Catherine Walgamuth shot a 97.

West Ranch sophomore Sarah Hong shot a 102 at Las Posas, which is very narrow and hilly with fast greens.

The course was more difficult than at Soule Park Golf Club in Ojai, which is where the CIF-SS Northern Team Divisional took place last Wednesday.

“At Soule Park, the low score was a 68,” said Hart head coach Renee Onori. “Today, the low score was a 72. That tells you the difference between the golf courses.”

Carlson’s 76 was four strokes off the low score, a 1-over 72 turned in by Los Altos’ Mayko Wang.

Despite the tougher conditions, the Indians were still able to push through to the next round.

Prichard, however, had her doubts during the round.

“I was definitely putting scared today, which kind of messed me up,” she said. “I had a lot of three-putts and a couple four-putts, which was not good. If you don’t hit the fairway on your tee shot, you’re kind of messed up for the whole hole.”

Prichard overcame her struggles to tie with eight other golfers at 85, and she admitted she didn’t expect the cut to be so high.

As for the Saugus girls, head coach David Stradling was pleased with the way DeFrancisco and Walgamuth battled the course.

Both players struggled with the greens, and Stradling said Walgamuth caught some bad breaks, including a tough bounce on the first hole that saw a good tee shot hit a hill and roll 35 yards backward on concrete.

“Just to be able to battle through it and finish, I was proud to see them out there,” Stradling said.

West Ranch head coach Jeff Holen said Hong struggled to keep the ball in play on Monday.

But their expectations weren’t that high to begin with, considering it was Hong’s first trip to the Northern Individual Regional.

“The field is tough,” he said. “We never really talked about her moving on. As a sophomore, it was just a learning experience.”

Perhaps Hong will return in the future.

For now, the Hart girls once again carry the banner for the Santa Clarita Valley.

“I’m just really happy that all four of us made it,” Prichard said. “I’m looking forward to next week.”