Another Section Masters golf title for East Union’s Riley

As the last of the field of 108 trudged toward the clubhouse after six hours of difficult golf, the sun peeked through the dark clouds and the wind stopped.

Call it a mean joke from the golf gods.

The Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Girls Championship was conducted in weather only good for ducks and seagulls Monday. They teed off in steady rain, replaced later by wind and cold, which tumbled the temperature into the 50s and – just to give all the umbrellas a final workout – more rain toward the end.

Tournament officials briefly considered a postponement, but The Reserve at Spanos Park wasn’t available Tuesday or Wednesday. Asking the section’s best to return a second time this week was too much. Undaunted, they started on time.

“Even the good golfers had a hard time today,” Turlock coach Mary Krupka said.

Only one, East Union senior Brooke Riley, mastered it all at Masters.

Riley, her scholarship at Northwestern already in hand, collected the medalist honor for the second year in a row by shooting a 1-under-par 71. After tying with two others for the lowest score a year ago, she walked away this time as an outright champion.

“It’s an honor for me to win it again,” Riley said. “I hope I can carry that momentum to NorCals.”

The Reserve, soggy after six hours of rain, played long and wet. Keeping hands warm, grips and gloves dry, swinging smoothly despite extra layers of clothing, staying patient and holding one’s focus through all the distractions were the day’s orders.

No one checked all the boxes like Riley.

The lefty scored five birdies, including a knockdown 8-iron to within a foot for a deuce at the 136-yard 15th. In fact, her round easily could have been better. Four misses inside four feet kept her from running away from everyone.

“I just had to clean it (the missed putts) out of my head,” Riley said. “Taking a 71 away from it – I can take a lot of positives away from it, knowing I can go lower.”

A week ago at the Division III tournament at Bing Maloney in Sacramento, Riley shot a 68 but was beaten by Vista del Lago senior Emilee Hoffman with a 65. Hoffman was one of the tri-medalists in 2014.

Alas, no one is immune to golf’s capricious nature. Hoffman, bound next fall for Texas, four-putted her final green for a 77 and watched her season come to an end.

Pitman senior Taylor Beckwith closed her career with an 85, matching the score of Central Valley’s Janita Vongphoumey.

Enochs, the Modesto Metro Conference champion, was represented by Alyse Padilla (96) and Mbeneka Maithya (97). Downey’s Samantha Smedshammer posted a 96.

Hannah Ellsworth of Bret Harte had an 89, followed by Lexi Gonzalez of Livingston (95) and Megan Popovich of Sonora (96).

Riley joins three other individual qualifiers and Masters team champion Granite Bay (406), runner-up Oak Ridge and third-place Rocklin next Monday for the Northern California Championships at Crazy Horse Ranch in Salinas.

East Union finished sixth, 16 strokes shy of advancing. Turlock was 12th.

For Riley, there is more golf to play. She tied for third at NorCals and state a year ago, and the Stanislaus District’s top player has lofty goals. The CIF State Championship, scheduled for Nov. 17 at Poppy Hills, would be a short trip.

“I’m excited to continue the season next week and hopefully doing well and advancing to state,” she said.

This story was originally published November 2, 2015 at 7:07 PM with the headline "Another Section Masters golf title for East Union’s Riley."