Song Takes Aim at Record

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

Golfer Anna Song has plenty to shoot  for this season—namely a place in the City record book. The Palisades High senior is focused on becoming only the second girl in section history to win three straight individual titles, matching a feat achieved by Tiffany Yau of Van Nuys from 2011-13. After winning  by eight strokes and firing a finals low 67 (six-under par)  as a sophomore, she carded a bogey-free 68 last fall to win by seven shots and joined six others—Yau, Jee Hee Hwang of Birmingham, Paula Kerdpinyo of Marshall, Monica Petchakan of North Hollywood, Carol Cheng of Granada Hills and Angelina Kim of Fairfax as two-time winners since 2000.   

Song will also try to lead the Dolphins to their fourth consecutive team title. Granada Hills holds the City record with six straight titles, having done so twice, and has won 14 total, also a record.

Despite three players graduating from last year’s title-winning squad (Maya Otero, Katie Kim and Dylan Nuss), the Dolphins return not only the reigning champion but also Skylar Monahan (who tied for 12th at last year’s finals and fellow junior Chloe Suh (who was 15th).

Coach Dave Suarez has one of his deepest rosters yet with seniors Hailey Sugarman and Amanda Brown, sophomores Chelsea Sargent, Jordan Detwiler and Viktoria Amarillas and freshmen Ella Shuman, Abigail Yoda, Eleanor Yoda and Cam Dyckhoff.

The Dolphins are off to a strong start, winning three of their first four matches. They won their opener September 3 at Rancho Park, beating Marymount  230-268 with Monahan shooting a 41 over nine holes to earn medalist honors. Nine days later they beat Crossroads 235-251 at Encino with Monahan and Suh carding 44s to share medalist honors and Shuman and Abigail Yoda each shooting a 66.

On Sept. 16 at Woodley Lakes, Monahan led the way with a 41 and Suh shot a 45 but the Dolphins fell 230-252 to Brentwood. Song was in the lineup for the league opener against Granada Hills on Sept. 17 and she fired a stellar 33 to secure medalist honors in the Dolphins’ 21-stroke victory. Dhuman shot a 43, Monahan and Eleanor Yoda shot 45s, Abigail Yoda and Sugarman shot 50s and Brown shot a 55.

On Wednesday, Palisades teed off against Harvard-Westlake at Encino and on Wednesday the Dolphins took on Oaks Christian at Camarillo Springs. Next Tuesday afternoon they face league rival El Camino Real at Woodley and next Thursday is a rematch with Granada Hills at 2 p.m. at Knollwood. The City Championships are Nov. 7 at Balboa.