Arcadia High School’s (AHS) Girls Varsity Golf team opened up the season with a bang at the South Bay Invitational Tournament, a prestigious event welcoming only the top 12 golf teams in the state. With a total of 388 points, they placed 4th place among many other well-respected schools, cementing our Apaches as a major contender.

One of the most notable accomplishments during the tournament belongs to junior Zoe Sprecher, who is entering her third year competing with the team. Sprecher was amazingly able to hit a 64 with 1000 par, not only shattering the course record but even obtaining the lowest score shot by an AHS Girls Golf player ever, with the previous record at 800 par. 

Sprecher’s achievement also came as a massive surprise to herself.

“Two days prior to the event, I broke my driver. I had to change to a stiffer and heavier shaft, so I didn’t really have too many expectations for that day,” she explained.  

With this unfortunate incident, she focused entirely on hitting the fairways and greens at a chance for a birdie, opening the game with -5 32 on the first nine holes. With the final nine at hand, Sprecher made a 12 ft. putt for a birdie at hole 10, following up with two 2-putt pars on holes 11 and 12. It was at the 14th hole, however, Sprecher made a very good third  shot from 110 within inches to land yet another birdie at par 5. With this exceptional play, she easily shot a 2 putt birdie on hole 18 for a score of -10.

Sprecher was more than ecstatic about this event.

“It felt like I was living in a dream. It was surreal. Coach Seiler and all my teammates were all there to greet me and enjoy that great moment together,” she said. 

Her score was not only an extraordinary feat, it also propelled her team up the leaderboard to sit comfortably at 4th place.

 “[After] only hit[ting] 6 out of 18 fairways, watching Zoe Sprecker hit 64 on those fairways was pretty impressive,” Coach Robert Greep said.

Captain Madeline Lee also shared some of her thoughts on the game, having a similar view as Sprecher.

 “[I] definitely had some highs and lows during the round with approach shot consistency,” she said.

But Lee was still able to pull off some remarkable plays, contributing significantly to her team’s score.

“One of my most memorable moments was getting an up-and-down birdie from the back of the green on a par 5!” she exclaimed. 

Although she saw much room for improvement, the game still granted her an enjoyable learning opportunity and valuable experience.

“It was a great experience playing with the team and definitely something I’ll remember for a while,” Lee said.

“These girls are doing really well with so much pressure on them, and they’re performing outstanding[ly],” said Coach Greep.

Overall, the game was a great success for the AHS Varsity/JV Girls Golf team, as it further strengthened their sense of pride within the team and demonstrated their capabilities to other renowned players across the state.

Photo courtesy of the @apachegolf Instagram