DIVISION I GOLF: Cougars lead, but Gorman within striking distance after opening round

NIPTON, Calif. — Palo Verde girls golf coach Todd Steffenhagen found Joe Sawaia in the parking lot before the opening round of the Division I state tournament and offered him a handshake.

"Congratulations on your second state title," Steffenhagen told the Coronado coach.

But the runaway some envisioned for the Cougars didn't materialize Wednesday.

On a day when none of the competitors broke par at Primm Valley Golf Club's Lakes Course, defending champion Coronado was unable to separate from the pack and left the door open for Bishop Gorman heading into Thursday's final round.

The Cougars posted a 29-over-par 313 and lead by 10 shots over Gorman (323), while Palo Verde was third at 337.

Palo Verde's Annick Haczkiewicz sits atop a crowded leaderboard after shooting 74 on the lengthy par-71 layout. She owns a one-shot lead over Coronado's Sami Penor, and eight players will be within five strokes of the lead when the final round begins at 10:30 a.m. today.

"I was kind of surprised at the scoring, not only from our girls but across the board," Sawaia said. "We played probably one of our worst rounds, statistically, of golf this year in the biggest tournament, which is kind of a downer. But on the bright side, we're still leading. And I really look for us to rebound tomorrow and play a lot better."

Hunter Pate of Gorman is third after a 5-over 76 that included a miraculous par from the cart path on the 18th hole. Coronado's Victoria Estrada shot 77 and is tied for fourth.

Haczkiewicz, the medalist at the Sunset Region tournament last week, made only two birdies and struggled with her irons throughout her round. The sophomore made the turn at 3 over then birdied No. 11 before giving it right back with a three-putt bogey on No. 12.

But Haczkiewicz finished with six straight pars, including a clutch 12-foot putt on No. 14 after she left her long birdie try well short. She will play in the final group that tees off at 12:30 p.m. with Penor, Pate and Bishop Manogue's Jax Sohl (77).

"My ups and downs, chipping and putting, really saved me," Haczkiewicz said. "It's a one-day tournament. Everybody is the same, nobody is above or below anyone else. I'm just going to think about my own game and try not to focus on any of my surroundings."

None of Coronado's six players had a birdie on the front nine, and Penor made the turn at 4 over before she settled down.

Penor, the Sunrise Region medalist, birdied the par-5 11th hole and closed out her round of 75 with seven consecutive pars despite gusting winds that made club selection tricky for everyone on the course.

"Sami had a nice stretch there on the back nine," Sawaia said. "I really look for her to continue that momentum, and I think she got the speed of the greens a little bit better at the end of her round."

Pate got off to a slow start and had only one birdie on the day, but she finished her round with a memorable par that would have made Seve Ballesteros proud.

Pate tried to drive the par-4 18th hole, which was playing only 250 yards, but she hooked her tee shot about 25 yards left of the green. Pate chipped her ball off the cart path, and it somehow avoided hitting any trees before stopping on the green about 25 feet from the hole.

Contact reporter David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidSchoenLVRJ.