On the green, Jonathan Kim ’24 aims his ball before taking his final swing. Although Kim struggled with the first two holes, he ended up with a total score of 76, only two points away from the winning score of 74. “I was just trying to enjoy the whole round,” Kim said. “I didn’t think too much about my score, and tried to focus on the holes I had left.”
Following his tee shot, Austin Skierski ’25 prepares to hit his ball into the green. With a score of 74, Skierski came in 1st place overall. “[Balcones Country Club] was our home course and we know it pretty well so mistakes were minimal,” Skierski said.
After a few practice swings, Ryan Lee ’25 prepares to take a shot. With a score of 80, Lee’s score didn’t differ much from the scores of the rest of his team.
After setting down his clubs, John Gallen ’26 takes a practice swing. Gallen held the third best score on the Westwood varsity boys team for this tournament with a total score of 79.
From the teeing area, Eric Arnett ’26 aims his club before teeing off. To prepare for the tournament, Arnett practiced at the golf range, learning through repetition. “I had some good wedge shots and some not-so-good shots,” Arnett said.
The varsity boys golf team competed against 12 other high schools in a stroke play tournament at Balcones Country Club on Monday, Dec. 4. Despite getting off to a rough start, the team came in 1st place with a total score of 309, with Austin Skierski ‘25 achieving a score of 74, the lowest score among all of the players.
“We played good as a team,” Eric Arnett ‘26 said. “Personally, I didn’t play very well. [If I could] I would just go back and hit some better shots but other than that, I wouldn’t change a thing.”
To move past his struggles throughout the first nine holes, Skierski spoke to his coach, focused on enjoying the tournament, and used his familiarity with the Balcones Country Club to his advantage.
“I didn’t think I played good enough to win the tournament so I was kind of shocked to see the 1st place,” Skierski said. “[I was] really excited. It was the first high school win so it’s good to get that one done. I have to practice a lot more and keep my mental game and I should be fine.”
With a score of 76, Jonathan Kim ‘24 came in 2nd place among the Westwood varsity boys team. Like Skierski, Kim faced challenges at the beginning of the tournament, although he tried to focus on the holes ahead rather than his score. The tournament allowed him to discover what areas to improve on, such as distance control and putting.
“I found out what I was struggling with throughout my game, and I’ve been practicing those specific spots,” Kim said. “I recently fixed my swing so I’ve been hitting the ball pretty far now.”
According to Assistant Golf Coach Paige Scharchburg, this invitational tournament had no implication for playoffs, and instead acted as a preparation for the team’s district tournament in March. To prepare for future tournaments, some of the varsity boys team members plan to spend more time at the golf range and maintain a positive attitude.
“I was not satisfied with my result, but I feel like I’m [improving] since this tournament and getting ready for the bigger tournaments ahead,” Kim said.
All JV boys and girls golf teams will compete in a tournament at Balcones Country Club on Monday, Jan. 22 in the first game of the second semester.
![Collaborating, the Westwood Girls 1st team assesses their results from their current hole. Each Westwood team consisted of three or four players, who provided each other with support and encouragement throughout the tournament. Playing with my teammates [was the highlight], Nancy Lu 27 said.](https://westwoodhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2024-02-05_JVGolf_ChangwatchaiP_27-1200x800.jpg)
