Tars closer to perfection

COSTA MESA — In recent weeks, golfers from the Newport Harbor High girls’ team have played under the weather.

One thing the Sailors haven’t gotten sick of is winning. Newport Harbor continued to be perfect on the golf course.

The Sailors improved to 18-0 on the season after beating Back Bay rival Corona del Mar, 202-219, on the Mesa Linda course at Costa Mesa Golf & Country Club Wednesday.

One match remains before Newport Harbor can clinch its first undefeated regular season in school history. The program got close last year before losing once.

Coach Scott Tarnow is confident his Sailors can close things out flawlessly today in a Sunset League finale against Edison at Mile Square Golf Course in Fountain Valley at 3 p.m.

“Last year’s team was our best ever and this year’s team is slightly better,” said Tarnow, who guided the Sailors to a 17-1 record last season. “I would say for the most part we don’t have … one or two girls that carry the team. Everybody is talented and everybody takes a turn in shooting low scores.

“We know it’s not up to one girl. If somebody has a bad round, somebody else is going to pick them up.”

Experience has been instrumental to Newport Harbor’s success the past two years. During the stretch, the Sailors are a remarkable 35-1.

Four of those victories have come against the Sea Kings. The latest against CdM (12-8) wasn’t as close as last week’s nine-hole affair at Santa Ana Country Club.

After Newport Harbor and CdM finished tied at 222 in the first Battle of the Bay event, the sixth players’ scores decided the winner. Their results on Wednesday turned out to be what they usually are, throw-out scores.

Lauren Draganza earned medalist honors after firing a one-over-par 36 for the Sailors. Draganza was one of four seniors leading the way, as she recorded birdies on the third and seventh holes.

Senior Ali Thomas finished with a 39, followed by sophomore Charlotte Skjonsby (41), and seniors Lindsey Hanna (42) and Morgan Moody (44).

Amanda Johnson led CdM with a 39 and Tess Crane shot a 40. Hyebin Hong (42), Grace Kim (45) and Ashley Varner (53) rounded the team’s top five.

Thomas offered the reason behind the wider gap between the two rival schools the second time around.

“We knew we could play better than we did last time,” Thomas said. “Our goal this time was to play our best.”

Thomas delivered.

Thomas finished tied for the second best outing of the day, improving her score by five strokes.

When the Sailors travel, they seem to perform at their best. The Sailors’ home courses, Big Canyon and Santa Ana country clubs, are tough.

Newport Harbor also isn’t able to get a lot of practice time on either course.

“It doesn’t build a lot of confidence playing those difficult courses because you’re looking at your [scores],” and wondering what happened, Tarnow said.

Whatever the challenge, Newport Harbor has faced it and finished on top.

Tarnow said last week’s match against CdM was the Sailors’ worst, yet they managed to prevail. The pressure is on to finish perfect.

“It’s hard to talk about [being perfect] and say don’t think about that and focus on the match,” said Tarnow, who’s in his 10th year at Newport Harbor. “It’s a whole different thing to really do it.”

If the Sailors pull it off today, everyone knows who’s buying dinner to celebrate 19-0, 10-0 in league.

“Of course, coach is buying dinner,” Hanna said.