It came down to the seventh hole, with the air cool and the breeze subsiding
around the longest hole on Soboba Springs’ course.
Dustin Tygret, freshman, took a deep breath and dominated all 511 yards of the par four Monday morning,
one of the most difficult holes in the conference.
“I knew the shot was going into the wind, but I swung and managed to hook my first shot into the rough before making the par,” Tygret said.
Not knowing it at the time, Tygret
helped to provide the catalyst in which his team would rally behind in an extremely close 400-401 victory
over College of the Desert, their first win this year.
EC opened up the game struggling
as Nathan Hill, sophomore, missed a crucial birdie attempt on the fourth hole.
He rebounded, however, and birdied
the sixth hole along with Tygret.
Ryan Saldana, freshman, also stepped it up in the clutch shooting
a 45 on the front nine, and 36 on the back nine salvaging his round.
But it was Tygret who midway
through the game displayed leadership on arguably one of the hardest holes in the entire country.
In 2009, the PGA Tour ranked Soboba’s 16th hole the hardest
hole in the nationwide tour and the seventh hole is 11 yards longer.
“It was tough,” said Tygret. “The entire left side of the hole was out of bounds and I was teeing off into the wind.”
While the golf team seems to be returning to form now, in 2008, the team was discontinued for a year while coach Stacy Komai transitioned
into her new role.
Since then, with a near victorious
first match and a victory recently over College of the Desert, the team has taken its place early in the year at the top.
Tony Barbone,athletic director, is optimistic for the future.
“Its not surprising to see them off to this kind of start because they have some really good kids,” he said. “And I really think they have the potential
to go far.”
The Warriors are currently in first place in the Foothill Conference, heading into their next game Monday
against Mt. San Antonio College
when they hope to defend their current position in the standings.
“Nobody thought we could make in this far,” Hill said. “Now we have a bull’s eye on our foreheads and we really need to keep up the hustle