East Union’s Riley struggles to tie for 19th at state golf championship
The dream script called for East Union High School senior Brooke Riley to pose for photos as the late-afternoon sun reflected off her first-place trophy at the CIF High School Girls State Championship.
Problem is, the perfect scenario rarely happens in golf. The unforgiving game often strikes down the elite and never takes names.
Riley, the two-time reigning Sac-Joaquin Section Masters champion, ended her brilliant career minus a state title, about the only thing she failed to accomplish.
The left-hander struggled almost from start to finish Tuesday en route to a 7-over-par 78 and a tie for 19th in a field of 59 at Poppy Hills.
As fate dictated, her only birdie came at the par-5 18th, thanks to an up-and-down from the fringe.
Northwestern coach Emily Fletcher, who will guide Riley over the next four years, made the long trip to watch one of her prized recruits. The Wildcats are ranked fifth in the nation by Golfweek and 15th by NCAA.com.
It’s surreal that my high school career is over. I could not have asked for better coaches or better teammates. Today was disappointing, but one of my friends said it wasn’t the end, it’s the beginning
Brooke Riley
“I had a tough time putting throughout the day,” Riley said. “I actually hit the ball well but got unlucky with a few bounces. On the front nine I hit only one bad iron and I was 3-over.”
Riley, encouraged by good weather at Poppy Hills, opened with five pars but missed two good chances for birdie. She missed a four-footer at the par-3 sixth for a bogey. It was a harbinger. She bogeyed seven of eight holes between the eighth and 15th.
“It was really tough mentally after everything went wrong and I got on that bogey train,” she said. “At the 18th, I just went for it and I might have been the only girl to get to the green in two. I had to laugh.”
Riley was the Stanislaus District’s best player since the day she enrolled at East Union, where she and her teammates extended a run of nine Valley Oak League titles in 10 years. After she shared the Section Masters medalist honor with two others in 2014, she won it outright this fall with a 71, the day’s only sub-par score in miserable conditions at The Reserve at Spanos Park in Stockton.
Last year, she positioned herself for a state title until she four-putted the final green and placed third. One year later, her final chance eluded her. She tied for 19th with four others, including 2014 state champion Sabrina Iqbal of Pioneer of San Jose.
“It’s surreal that my high school career is over. I could not have asked for better coaches or better teammates,” Riley said. “Today was disappointing, but one of my friends said it wasn’t the end, it’s the beginning.”
Riley also has one impressive consolation prize in hand.
“Brooke caught our attention two years ago, and we have been so impressed with her continual improvement and work ethic,” Fletcher said last week. “This is a player who is going to leave her mark on our program, and I am beyond excited to see it unfold.”
Malaysia native Alyaa Abdulghany, a junior from Corona Del Mar, was the medalist with a 2-under 69. Mira Costa won its first team title.
This story was originally published November 17, 2015 at 6:32 PM with the headline "East Union’s Riley struggles to tie for 19th at state golf championship."