Occidental women’s golf started their fall season Sept. 13, finishing fifth out of nine teams at the California State Intercollegiate tournament. Women’s golf consists of two seasons: fall and spring. The spring season is twice the length of fall and is when the team competes in conference play. The team concluded their second tournament of the fall season in Dupont, WA, at the Pacific Lutheran Invitational (PLU) Sept. 27 to Sept. 29. The team placed fourth overall and secured two top 10 individual finishes, with Kimi Arabe (junior) placing seventh and Faith Petrino (sophomore) tenth.
Head coach William Morris said the team played in rainy and cold weather in Washington, which posed a great challenge and opportunity to play in challenging conditions.
“[The weather conditions] got better as the day went on, but the first couple of hours were miserable,” Morris said. “I told the team it’s absolutely the same for everybody, there’s no reason to feel sorry for ourselves […] I want our players to build on their experiences as they keep improving.”
Kimi Arabe (junior) said even without senior leadership, the incoming first years have had no trouble contributing to the team’s great start to the season at the CA State Intercollegiate tournament.
“We’re pretty young, and the freshmen bring a refreshing energy to the team,” Arabe said. “In our first tournament of the season, we beat Cal Lutheran on their home course. That gave me a lot of hope for our main spring season because our team looks promising.”
Swing coach Joe Cano said Arabe’s seventh-place finish was anticipated.
“With Kimi, I expected her [to finish top 10],” Cano said. “She’s now the team captain [and] pretty consistent. I don’t have to worry about her on the course [because] I know she makes good decisions and is a very good player.”
Cano said Arabe has developed different parts of her game, including a positive shift in mentality.
“[Arabe’s biggest improvement is] her execution [and] mental strength,” Cano said. “This comes with maturity as the players get older and have the experience; they learn that one bad hole doesn’t define their round, and she can fight and battle through it.”
According to Jasmine Choi (junior), Arabe is a great leader who holds the team to a high standard.
“Our last qualifier over the past weekend, Kimi had us all count how many putts we had and whoever got the lowest putt [received] a sweet treat from the Cooler,” Choi said. “It kept us accountable [and] made sure that we were trying our hardest.”
Morris said golf is mentally challenging, but Arabe simplifies the game by making it as routine as possible.
“One of the things [Arabe’s] talked to me about was to make golf boring,” Morris said. “In golf, the only opponent that you’re playing is yourself, so golfers tend to be too hard on themselves. I try to get [the team] to refocus their perspective: it’s you versus the golf course, and in the long run, the golf course always wins. No matter who you are.”
With her second top 10 collegiate placement, Faith Petrino (sophomore) said she improved her skills at the PLU invite by playing safer.
“Recently, I’m trying to be smarter and not make the hero shot,” Petrino said. “Just playing boring golf, instead of doing something cool.”
Morris said he notices Petrino’s progress each year.
“[Petrino] is a sophomore [now] and carries herself in a different manner,” Morris said. “She is a really good player [and has] great aura.”
Even though golf is an individual sport, the team’s placement is determined by combining the finishing score of each player. Petrino said it feels most like a team sport between rounds.
“Before the rounds, we’re talking and hyping each other up, and then after the rounds, we sit around and debrief,” Petrino said. “It’s nice when you’ve had a really good or bad day just to talk about it with the team.”
Cano said every shot is important when you are part of a team.
“In [college golf, a] one-foot putt is just as valuable as a 250-yard drive,” Cano said. “Both count for one stroke. [Players] have to understand they’re playing for their teammates and their school.”
According to Cano, the fall season is a great opportunity to discover the team’s identity with the incoming first years.
“Fall season is where we’re trying to define ourselves as a team,” Cano said. “We’re able to see [the first years] handle pressure [and] rise to adversity. It sets the tone for where we are going into our main season [in the spring].”
According to Choi, when the spring season comes, players can still improve their skills and help their team at the same time.
“I’m looking forward to the practices with the team, and how we’ll have the whole semester to improve on our game,” Choi said. “For qualifiers, we compete with one another, which might make for a really competitive atmosphere, but we’re still supportive, which I really love.”
Cano said he knows the team is capable of placing first in SCIAC.
“Winning the conference is the ultimate goal,” Cano said. “We have the talent to do that.”
Contact Liz Hermosillo at ehermosillo@oxy.edu
