Wang fires 88 for Carson golf

Led by Samantha Wang's career-best 88, the Carson High girls golf team finished third at Tuesday's Sierra League golf tournament at Eagle Valley East.

The Senators finished at 489. It was the second time in three weeks that Carson had finished third in the five-team event. Reno won for the third straight week, carding an impressive 439. South Tahoe was second with a 483. Douglas was fourth at 547 and North Valleys, despite Danielle Oliver's 79 (medalist), shot a 549.

The golfers return to action next Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Rosewood Lakes in Reno, and the Reno Huskies will undoubtedly be a heavy favorite to win their fourth straight tournament.

Besides Wang, Sarah Metcalf shot a career-best 99. Michelle Kop shot 95, Lydia Peri 103, Grace Ray 104 and Taylor Stokes 111. It was Stokes' first-ever 18-hole round.

"We had some very good scores," Carson coach Terry Gingell said. "Samantha shot a career best and broke 90 for the first time, and Sarah had a personal best. She had never been below 100. That was outstanding."

Wang was a model of consistency. She had four pars and 12 bogeys thanks to a tremendous short game which enabled her to save par or bogey on several holes with one-putt greens.

"Even though my tee shots didn't go very far, they were consistent (straight)," Wang said. "I hit my 7-wood real well and my chipping was really good. I chipped a lot of balls close and one-putted.

"I've been going low 90s. I knew I was around bogey and I played a lot better on the back so I knew I might be in the high 80s."

Wang opened with a par on the 320-yard par-4 opening hole. She hit a 3-wood about 170 yards and then knocked a 7-wood on the fringe. She almost holed out from there, settling for a tap-in par.

The diminutive Wang settled for seven bogeys over the next eight holes to finish the front with a 45.

Wang started the front side with a bogey on the par-5 471-yard 10th hole, and then doubled the 325-yard par-4 11th.

She bounced back with back-to-back pars on Nos. 12 and 13. On the 164-yard 12th, she hit a 7-wood to the right side of the green and two-putted from about 12 feet. On No. 13, a 346-yard par-4, she left her approach shot short, but chipped up and sank a short putt for par.

Wang put together four straight bogeys before parring the 400-yard 18th. After hitting a 3-wood and 7-wood, she found herself about 70 yards short of the green. Wang hit a sand wedge just to the left of the hole and tapped in for a par.

Kop opened with a birdie on the 320-yard par-4, sinking a 12-footer from the fringe.

On No. 2, disaster struck. Kop hit a decent drive, but lost two balls before she reached the green and a three-putt gave her a nine.

Kop, Carson's No. 1 player, registered her first par on No. 5, a 490-yard par-5. She hit driver about 200 yards off the tee and left her 6-iron approach shot just short of the green. She chipped on and two-putted from about 15 feet.

She closed out the front side with consecutive pars on Nos. 8 and 9. On the 145-yard par-3 8th, her tee shot landed on the fringe. She chipped up close enough to save par. On the 364-yard 9th, she was on the green in regulation and two-putted.

Kop doubled the 10th, taking a seven on the 471-yard par-5. She parred No. 14, a 461-yard par-5, thanks to a nice 250-yard drive and a two-putt from 12 feet. On No. 16, she one-putted for par after a nice chip shot.

Contact Darrell Moody at dmoody@nevadaappeal.com, or by calling (775) 881-1281

"Off the tee I hit it pretty good," Kop said. "It was a pretty good round for me I guess. I was trying to break into the 80s, but it just didn't come through."