Crystal soph takes 3rd in Nor Cal golf

Cui finished fifth at the West Bay Athletic League with a round of 2-over 74 at Bayland Golf Links in Palo Alto before capturing the Central Coast Section championship with a round of 5-under 67 at Laguna Seca Golf Ranch in Monterey last Tuesday.

The State Championship is scheduled for next Wednesday at Pebble Beach Golf Course.

Both Peng and Lee had to chase down Cui, who went out in the fifth group of the morning and when she got to back to clubhouse, she had the lead. She started her round with a pair of pars before back-to-back birdies on hole Nos. 3 and 4, both par-4s. She immediately gave one shot back with a bogey on the par-4 fifth.

Cui got back on track, however, with a par at No. 6 before her third birdie on the front to get back to 2-under. But she gave both shots back before reaching the 10th tee as she stumbled to two straight bogeys at Nos. 8 and 9 to make the turn at even-par 36.

She started the back-9 with a par, followed by a birdie-3 at the par-4 11th to move back to 1-under. She then parred five of her final seven holes, but there was a wild ride at Nos. 15 and 16. She was back at even following a bogey-5 on the par-4 15th, but she more than made up for it with an eagle-3 on the par-5 16th to move back to 2-under. She closed with back-to-back pars to post the score to beat.

That bettered the score of St. Ignatius’ Stevie Umali, who played two groups ahead of Cui and was at 1-under before Cui topped her by a shot.

Cui’s score stood up for most of the day, before Peng and Lee both passed her late in the afternoon. Peng played in the third-to-last tee time of the day. She had a wild front 9, going bogey-birdie-bogey on holes 2,3 and 4, but she made the turn at 1-under following birdies at Nos. 7 and 8. She added three more birdies on the back to take the clubhouse lead at 4-under.

Lee, playing in the final group of the day, started her round on No. 10 and ended the back-9 at 2-under following three birdies and a bogey. Her birdie on hole No. 7 gave her the one-stroke advantage over Cui.

Cui wasn’t the only county golfer to make the Nor Cal tournament. She was joined by Mills freshman Irene Hur, who finished in a tie for third at the Central Coast Section championship last Tuesday.

Hur posted a top-25 finish at Nor Cal, finishing in a five-way tie for 24th following a 6-over 78. Hur bogeyed Nos. 3 and 5, but a birdie at No. 7 had her making the turn at 1-over.

But should could not maintain momentum over the final nine holes as she bogey five of them.

Pebble Beach’s Stevenson, which captured the CCS team title, added the Nor Cal crown with a total scored of 380. Granite Bay was second with a score of 401 and Carondelet was third with a team score of 410.

Cupertino’s Monta Vista and Valley Christian, which finished third and second, respectively at CCS, finished in a tie for fourth with scores of 411, one shot behind Carondelet.