Gorman girls build big first-round lead

Nick Christensen

Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2003 | 9:25 a.m.

The 18th hole at Tuscany Golf Club can be daunting from the fairway.

Between the golfer and the green, a lake commands the attention of the player on the fairway. Behind the green, a sand trap and a hill threaten any golfer who overcompensates for the water.

Some of the girls competing in Monday's first round of the 4A state girls' golf championship at Tuscany wound up in the water. Some hit it into the bunker. One hit it clear to the top of the hill, into a crowd of onlookers.

And the lake was all that kept Bishop Gorman's Justina Yu from standing alone at the top of the leaderboard with a par 72.

Instead, Yu double-bogeyed the 18th hole, hitting the ball into the rough on the fairway side, then hitting it into the water before clearing onto the putting green. Yu finished tied with Galena's Luxchmi Gill, the defending state individual champion.

"I pulled my drive to the left," Yu said. "I was in the rough, but I figured I'd be alright. But I couldn't focus on the pin and hit it in the water."

Bishop Gorman recorded a team score of 409 Monday, leading Reno's Galena High School by 17 strokes and Henderson's Green Valley by 41 going into this afternoon's final round of play. Palo Verde shot a 455, while Reed posted a 469 and Coronado shot a 489.

Gorman coach Kelsey McCall, remarkably, said he felt the team could improve on its considerable advantage.

"We had an OK day. We didn't light it up," McCall said. "But considering it's the first day, and the pressure of that, I think the girls did well."

Green Valley's Nick Garritano said his main focus now is on the Gators' Nicole McGirr, who finished the day one stroke back of Yu and Gill in individual scores. McGirr is tied at 75 with Silverado's Chloe Nelson, while Durango's Sondia Gogue begins the day three strokes back of the lead with a 77.

"As a team we didn't play well," Garritano said. "McGirr shot well. Hopefully things go well for her and she can be the state champion."

Galena coach Keith Mussallem was hopeful for improvement today.

"They did OK," Mussallem said. "They're much more capable. Hopefully in the second round, they can put it together."

Golfers battled the unusual weather along with the tough course and, in the case of the Reno-area golfers, the travel. Temperatures in the area were above 95 degrees.

Tee times were to begin at 10 a.m. today, with the leaders scheduled to go off around 11:30 a.m.