SANTA CRUZ >> Scotts Valley High senior Maisey Chard shot her best round at DeLaveaga Golf Course on Tuesday, a 13-over-par 82, to win medalist honors at the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League Girls Golf Championship.
Chard earned a 13-stroke margin of victory over junior teammate Lauren Ohlsson.
The SCCAL featured six-hole matches during the dual-meet season. While many of the girls saw their scores wilting under the bright sun on the back nine Tuesday, Chard’s blossomed. She shot 1 over on the final eight holes.
Chard’s round included three birdies (hole Nos. 10, 14 and 15) and five pars (Nos. 8, 11, 12, 13, and 18).
“Today, I think it was more of a mental thing,” Chard said. “I kept on telling myself, ‘I’m gonna hit a good shot, and I hit a good shot. And it ended up paying off a lot.”
She shot five strokes better than she did as as a junior, when she finished second behind teammate and two-time league champion Ashley Gettleman, who transferred to Stevenson School in Pebble Beach over the summer.
“I think this shows my improvement throughout the years, starting as a freshman and now a senior,” Chard said. “And it being my last league (championship), it’s cool to see my score improvement.”
It was the seventh straight year that a Scotts Valley golfer won medalist honors, and the sixth straight season that the Falcons (8-0) won the regular season team title.
Chard’s season isn’t done, and neither is the SCCAL champion Falcons. They’ll compete at the Central Coast Section Championships at Laguna Seca Golf Ranch on Tuesday.
In addition to Chard and Ohlsson, the Falcons’ five-player squad includes senior Serena Sanford-Brantley, and freshmen Rebecca Ervine and Elizabeth Goldfield.
“My putting has really improved this year, so I’m excited to try that there,” Chard said.
Ohlsson buried an eight-foot for eagle the par-5 10th hole, and earned par on of four holes (Nos. 3, 4, 11 and 14).
She showed tremendous character and fight after opening her round with a 5-over-par 10 on the first hole and was 6 over after two holes.
Ohlsson, a country music fan, did her best Taylor Swift impression after the first hole and tried to shake it off. There were 17 holes left, so move on, she told herself.
“The first hole, I did not play too well,” she said. “But It kept getting better. I got some pars. But toward the end it was a little rough. But I’d say it wasn’t like too bad.”
She took pride in her eagle on hole No. 10. She hit driver on the 451-yard hole, and then 7-iron to eight feet of the hole. She made her putt.
“That was really good,” Ohlsson said.
Admittedly, she hadn’t spent much time on her golf game outside of the season. Her passion is horseback riding. She owns an 11-year-old thoroughbred named, Bones, which she bought six years ago from her horse trainer. Bones, a former race horse, was emaciated when he was rescued, hence his name. She competes with Bones in eventing (jumping, dressage, and cross country) and was excited to see him after her round.
“My score at the end wasn’t what I wanted, but I made it kinda work,” she said, noting that her best round is an 85 at Seascape Golf Club and that she shot a hole-in-one at Monterey Pines.
Chard and Ohlsson pushed each other throughout the SCCAL season. Each won medalist honors four times.
“It’s really fun to be neck-and-neck, especially on your own team,” Chard said, “because you’re both encouraging, but there’s also this competitive aspect of it that really pushes you to do better and keep up.”
In addition to Chard and Ohlsson, only one other player broke 100. Aptos junior Emily Fassio (97) took third.
Soquel sophomore Joey Burgos (109) took fourth, and San Lorenzo Valley senior Reagan Atkinson (124), who enjoys longboard surfing n her free time, rounded out the top five.
The lead foursome — Chard, Ohlsson, Fassio, and Aptos senior Lilly McGee (139) — blazed through their round. They finished in 4 1/2 hours.
Fassio, who earned par on No. 8, said she enjoyed herself. Like Ohlsson, Fassio said she didn’t golf much outside of the SCCAL season.
“It was fun,” she said. “Not as good as I could’ve done, but it wasn’t bad. My struggles are definitely on the green, but I think the rest of my shots were pretty good.”
Despite saying she struggled on the greens, she made a 20-foot putt on the par-3 fifth hole.
Asked if she got par or better, Fassio responded with uncontrollable giggles. She caught her breath, and, still smiling, offered, “No.”
“Hopefully, I can improve a little bit and come back stronger,” said Fassio, of next season.