MICHAEL RAWSON
SPORTS EDITOR

After the agony of waiting almost three years to win a golf tournament, the #8 ranked lady Cougars finally got one last week.

On Feb. 28 to March 1, they did it on their home turf, winning the 1st-place trophy for the first time since 2008, in the Cougar Invitational at Lake San Marcos Country Club Golf Course. Individual Champion Linnel De Villa and third-place finisher Lisa Copeland led the charge for CSUSM. De Villa shot a 161 overall, while Copeland ended at 163.

“Two years ago I ended up third individually, and last year I ended up second,” De Villa said. “So this year, even before the tournament started, I had the mindset that I had to win this, it’s my last chance, my last season.”

In their previous tournament, at Pala Mesa Golf Resort in Fallbrook, the Cougars led the field after day one before falling back and finishing a disappointing 3rd. Head Coach Cindy Naval felt optimistic after her squad grabbed another early lead. “After the first round and they were leading by nine shots, I was very hopeful that we would be able to pull this one out, especially since it didn’t work out that way at Pala Mesa,” she said. “I was very hopeful that the girls would be able to learn from that experience, and then be able to improve at the next tournament. And they did.”

Nerves rose on the CSUSM side after scores climbed on day two. De Villa followed her 77 on Monday with an 84. Copeland followed suit, also scoring 84 after her initial 79. Luckily for the Cougars, scores grew across the board on Tuesday. “Frank [Iannuzzi], the head pro [at Lake San Marcos], said the scores this year were higher than [in previous years] even when it was raining,” Naval said.

While the course conditions worsened on Tuesday, Naval believes there might have been another reason scores climbed. “There were three holes that are pretty difficult to begin with. Overnight, someone moved the tees back. We think that maybe one of the maintenance guys did it,” the first-year coach said. De Villa felt the new tee placement did no maintenance on the golfers’ confidence. “If you’re farther back, [it looks] even more narrow, so it’s really intimidating,” she said.

CSUSM’s second team also finished well, placing 4th. But the Cougars won’t always be able to enter two teams. On March 20, five golfers will depart on what Naval calls the “March Tour,” a spring break road-trip through Primm (NV), San Luis Obispo, and Monterrey. Since only one team can make the trip, Naval will let scores decide. After De Villa, the leaderboard currently consists of Copeland, Cora Busby, Meghan Hardin, and Felicia Titus. Teammates are right on their heels.

The pressure has been removed from De Villa, however, who automatically qualified for the trip with the victory last week. The senior spent last golf season in London, studying abroad, and didn’t even bring her golf clubs. She said upon her return, she tried to “just play golf.”

Her coach is not surprised at De Villa’s re-adjustment: “She’s a natural,” Naval said.

Photo courtesy of Kyle Trembley