With 553 strokes, the Foothill boys’ golf team defeated Fillmore (580), Carpinteria (590), Santa Clara (604), and Santa Paula (653) high schools on Thursday at the Montecito Country Club. Senior Scott Hamlet scored 100 for the Dragons, one of the top four scores of the match. Junior Cole Bindus and senior Austin Hunt “were solid with 105’s,” according to Coach Mark Wipf, and freshman Ryan Riffenburgh scored a 107 for the team.

The course was a challenge in itself, with “the greens […] very fast and tricky to putt” but Coach Wipf was proud to see the players overcome this obstacle and win the tournament.

“I feel very good about this tournament result because Montecito Country Club is a very difficult and demanding golf course compared to last week at Elkins Ranch,” Wipf said. “Although the scores were high, we actually won by 47 strokes.”

Overall, the coach is pleased with the team’s improvements, but sees an opportunity to grow in bettering tee shots.

“We continue to become more consistent at all aspects of the game. It all starts by driving the ball well. If we continue to improve our tee shots, we’ll give ourselves more opportunities to score well,” he said.

Though he acknowledges his team’s early success, Coach Wipf is focused on the present and his team’s growth.

“It is very important that we don’t get ahead of ourselves. The past cannot be changed; we can only learn and grow from it,” Wipf said. “I know it’s a simple concept, but it is important that we continue to play one shot at a time.”