Eagles share top spot

COSTA MESA — Kim Haycraft used but one word to describe a girls’ golf victory Monday.

“Justified.”

That’s what the Estancia High junior said after the Eagles all but reclaimed a share of the Golden West League championship with a 230-264 win over Laguna Beach at Costa Mesa Golf & Country Club’s Mesa Linda Course Monday.

Well, Estancia, the 2006 champion, will need a victory Thursday over Orange to gain at least a share of the crown with the Breakers, who finish up league against woeful Westminster.

Estancia defeated Orange, 249-254, in the first round on the Panthers’ home course.

Haycraft shot seven-over-par 42 to share medalist honors with sophomore teammate Ashley Peters.

Part of the reason Haycraft described Monday’s win as justified was because she felt the Eagles should have won the championship last year. The Breakers captured the program’s first girls’ golf league title after beating Estancia by two strokes at Mesa Linda last season.

Haycraft and the Eagles watched as Laguna Beach took a step closer to repeating with a win by four strokes at San Clemente Country Club Oct. 1.

The Breakers screamed in celebration after winning, Haycraft said. This time, at Mesa Linda, she wanted to silence them.

The win helped, as did the scores of fellow Eagles’ Jackie Crosson and Nushin Tasbihchi, who both shot 48, and Nicole Irigoyen, who carded a 50.

Grace Komoroczy, the Breakers’ top golfer, shot a team-low 44 for Laguna Beach, which also had Jenni Coury (52), Austen Grossman (55), Taylor Weiss (56) and Ladan Davia (57) score.

Before Monday, the Eagles (14-3, 8-1 in league) knew it would be tough to take down Laguna Beach, also 8-1 in league. Sure they would be playing on their home course. But Monday matches are notoriously rough for the girls because they don’t practice during the weekend. This past weekend proved especially challenging because Estancia had its homecoming dance Saturday.

Art Perry, the Eagles’ coach who also was a chaperon at the dance, stressed to his girls to practice on Sunday with the league title in the balance Monday.

Both Haycraft and Peters practiced, Haycraft at Mesa Linda, Peters at Mesa Verde Country Club.

Also, some of the pressure was decreased when the Eagles learned the Breakers would be without their team captain Karina Shaw, who is usually Laguna’s No. 2 golfer.

“We found out about Karina when we got here and I was relieved,” Perry said. “She’s a real fine player. But I think we would have still won with her here.”

Shaw was on a visit to Amhurst College, Laguna Beach Coach Valorie Quigley said. Shaw was there for academic reasons, as she does not plan to play golf in college, Quigley said.

“[Shaw] really wanted to beat Estancia, and she wanted to be here,” Quigley said. “By her not being here that also had an impact on our mental motivation.”

Quigley concurred the Breakers would still have lost if Shaw played because of the scores put up by her girls.

Shaw would have made the match if it were played today, as it was originally scheduled. But the match was moved to Monday because the greens are being punched at the Costa Mesa golf course today.

The Breakers still may get their chance at revenge next week if both finish 9-1 in league. Laguna should be at full strength for an expected playoff as part of the Golden West League finals Monday at Mesa Linda. The 18-hole event is usually reserved for individual competition, but the league needs to determine the first-place entry for the CIF Southern Section Southern Team Divisional.

Laguna Beach…264

Estancia…230