By Ron Smith
September 13, 2022
 
(VENTURA, Calif.) Westmont golfers produced record setting performances at the California State Intercollegiate Tournament held at Olivas Links Golf Course on Monday and Tuesday.
 
Sophomore Charlie Bloom helped lead the women's team to a fourth place finish out of 10 teams. The tournament included eight NCAA Division III teams, including four that are ranked in the top-25, as well as The Master's and Westmont.
 
In the first round on Monday, Bloom shot a remarkable 67 (-5). It was the first time that a Westmont women's golfer had shot under par and it established a new single-round team record.
 
"That was my personal best," said Bloom. "I started off really hot. I was four under through five. It made me feel a little uncomfortable, but I was able to keep it going and finish out the round, taking it shot by shot. It was weird, because if felt like I wasn't doing anything irregular. I got all the good breaks like all the putts that usually lip out went in, good kicks off the trees and good lies. Everything just went my way."
 
"I am so happy for Charlie," said Westmont head coach Josh Ault. "It is nice to see her step up and do what she is clearly capable of doing."
 
Freshman Sydnee Magpoc turned in a three-over-par 75 on Monday, while red-shirt sophomore transfer Meredith McDougal posted a 77 (+5). Senior Serena Jonay Garcia completed the team scoring with an 82, giving Westmont a team score of 301 (+13), which also set a Westmont record. The previous best team score for a single round was 316, set one year ago on at the same event, on the same course.
 
On Tuesday, The Warriors matched their new team record score, shooting 301 for the second day in a row with all four scorers producing sub-80 rounds. McDougal turned in a 73 (+1), matching the previous Warrior record before Bloom shattered it on Monday. Garcia dropped seven strokes on day two, carding a 75 (+3). Magpoc shot a 76 (+4) on Tuesday and Bloom scored a 77 (+5), the third lowest round of her Westmont career. Bloom tied for fifth place on the tournament's player leaderboard for the second top-five finish of her career.
 
"I love this course," said Bloom. "If I am driving the ball well, I am going to play well. Off the tee, the course looks wide open. It isn't always, but it looks that way. Because of that, I drove the ball well. The greens run true and it's a fun course. There are tough pins and you have to know where to put it."
 
The resulting two-round team total of 602 for the women is Westmont's lowest team score for 36 holes.
 
On the men's side, Westmont finished ninth out of 10 teams but also established new scoring records. In Monday's first round, the Warriors tallied a team score of 290 strokes – nine less than the previous record which was produced twice during the 2019-20 inaugural season. Then in the second round, also on Monday, Westmont broke the record again, this time shooting a combined 288. In Tuesday's third round, the Warriors notched 301, which is the fifth lowest team score for a single round in program history.
 
In the first round on Friday, freshman Peyton Hendricks matched his score of 69 (-3) that he recorded at El Dorado Park on Friday. Hendricks shot 70 (-2) in the second round and 73 (+1) for a tournament score of 212 (-4), which tied him for eighth place, four strokes behind the leader.
 
Despite leading the team in scoring, Hendricks was frustrated with himself. "I didn't bring my best stuff, but it ended okay. It just wasn't quite enough to get the job done. It's not bad, but it's not where I want to be. I threw shots away every round, at least three – from a triple on my first hole to a double on my last hole."
 
"Our team is young right now, we have a lot of freshman," noted Ault "That means they don't have a lot of scar tissue, which is a good thing. It also means they are a little disappointed in themselves, but they shouldn't be. They actually played amazing golf.
 
"Peyton tied for seventh and was in first at multiple times, which is an incredible performance. He legitimately had a chance to win the tournament. They might feel disappointed, but I think when they take a moment they are going to be proud of the fact that they fought."
 
Freshman Danny Manginelli recorded a three-round total of 223 (75, 73, 75) and sophomore Brock Yurkovich posted a score of 224 (75-73-77). Freshmen Cooper Allen (72, 80, 76) and Noah Lodewyk (79, 72, 77) each carded 228 strokes.
 
The Warriors return to action on Monday, September 26 when they take on Occidental in a single-round dual match at Rustic Canyon Golf Course in Moorpark.