West Ranch’s Noelle Song played her last round of prep golf on Thursday at the CIF SCGA SoCal Regional Championship at Brookside Golf Course in Pasadena.
Song finished tied for 44th after carding a 6-over. Only the top nine golfers at the event moved on to the state championship, which will be held on Nov. 14 at Victoria Club in Riverside.
“My mindset was to shoot a consistent score and treat it as any other tournament,” Song said. “The fact that my coach and parents were there to watch me is what kept me motivated.”
The tournament capped a successful year for Song that featured a Foothill League individual title. Averaging 38.8 across six league meets, Song was named medalist in three meets while tying for the honor in two others.
The senior qualified for the SoCal Regional Golf Championships after recording a 4-over at the CIF-Southern Section Individual girls golf finals at River Ridge Golf Course in Oxnard on Nov. 1.
Song had seen Brookside’s course before, making it easier to navigate several tricky yardages. She also worked on her short game leading up to the CIF tournament, which helped her sink a long putt for a birdie on one occasion.
“I’m going to focus more towards my short game,” Song said prior to the match, “especially because I know I can get my shots to be set up towards the green, but all in all, it matters about getting the ball in the hole, so I’m going to be working on putting drills and chipping drills to really dial in my short game.”
Song now hopes to continue her playing career in college and has a few wise words for upcoming West Ranch golfers.
“Be patient with the game and take it for what it is,” she said. “Keep practicing and progressing throughout the year and you will see improvements. And overall, have fun because the four years go by in the blink of an eye.”
