- November 23, 2024
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Matanzas' Beatrice Dietz hits a putt on Grand Reserve. Photo by Ray Boone
FPC's Rylee Millikan hits a tee shot on the fifth hole at Grand Reserve. Photo by Ray Boone
The Pirates' Beatrice Dietz hit her approach shot on the eighth hole at Grand Reserve. Photo by Ray Boone
The Pirates' Beatrice Dietz hit her approach shot on the eighth hole at Grand Reserve. Photo by Ray Boone
FPC's Katie Parsons hits a tee shot on the eighth hole at Grand Reserve. Photo by Ray Boone
FPC's Katie Parsons watches as her ball tracks toward the cup. Photo by Ray Boone
Matanzas' Beatrice Dietz watches her ball fly toward the pin. Photo by Ray Boone
Matanzas' Katherine Bentley hits an approach shot on the par-4 ninth hole. Photo by Ray Boone
The Pirates' Katherine Bentley hits a driver on the par-4 ninth hole. Photo by Ray Boone
The Bulldogs' Caroline Rizzo watches her put track toward the hole. Photo by Ray Boone
Matanzas' Cadie Lasher hits an approach shot on the par-4 first hole. Photo by Ray Boone
FPC's Caroline Rizzo hits a ball down the fairway on the first hole at Grand Reserve. Photo by Ray Boone
With the threat of Hurricane Dorian looming, Matanzas’ girls golf team couldn’t practice for nearly a week leading up to their match against rival Flagler Palm Coast the afternoon of Tuesday, Sept. 10.
"I think, overall, we're a little down. But I think by the end of the season, we'll be able to pull it all together."
BRANDI ALRED, Matanzas coach
But the Pirates still kept their composure.
The Pirates’ No. 1 player, Beatrice Dietz, got into trouble on narrow, 410-yard par-5 seventh hole at Grand Reserve. Standing at 1-over for the round, Deitz hit it into the woods twice and accidentally moved her ball with her club before a shot, resulting in a penalty stroke.
She made a 7 on the hole.
“It’s kind of hard to make up shots from that,” she said. “It’s hard to keep a positive attitude when you’re far behind.”
Dietz made up for it, shooting a 4-over 40 for her team’s lowest score and the second-lowest score overall.
As a team, the Pirates beat the Bulldogs 193 to 198.
“I was very proud of them for sticking with it and being confident in their strokes,” Pirates coach Brandi Alred said. “They stayed with every single shot and managed to pull it out.”
The Pirates are still learning to get along without last year’s top player, Caitlynn Reuter, who graduated from Matanzas in spring 2019.
Now, Deitz has firm control of the top spot, a position she had in her freshman and sophomore seasons.
“It’s not a big adjustment,” she said. “It’s just a slot at the end of the day.”
She added: “Our dynamic really hasn’t changed that much. Our team has progressed together, and we’ve all been working very hard. I think we’ll be good this year.”
FPC sophomore Katie Parsons was the match’s medalists. She was even par on her round until she bogied her final three holes for a 3-over 39.
The Bulldogs are a young team this season, and head coach Phil DeAugustino sees some benefit to that.
Three of the four players on the roster competed all summer leading up to the fall sports season. The Bulldogs are in the process of looking for a fifth and sixth player to fill provide more depth and fill out their roster.
“We’ve got a good, young team, and they’re dedicated. It’s great to see,” he said. “They put the work in, and now we’re seeing the results.”
