Focused on the green, senior Kenneth Tavares-Ruacho prepares to drive the ball. “When stepping up to the tee, I try to think about the goal with the shot. Whether it’s to lay up or drive the ball as far as I can, it’s something that is important to my game,” Tavares-Ruacho said.Walking the course at Underwood, senior Kenneth Tavares-Ruacho discusses strategy between holes. “Terrain plays a big part into the strategy approach of a hole. A course like Underwood has plenty of bushes and desert that your ball can get lost in, so it’s important to pay attention to every environmental factor, not just where the ball goes,” Tavares-Ruacho said.Completing a strong shot from the grass, senior Fernando Larios watches his ball fly before heading to the next hole. Larios maintained his momentum as the match went on, showing off his accuracy by landing his drives closer and closer to the cup.Squatting low to read the green, senior Andrew Lantang lines up his putt toward the beginning of the match. Lantang started the day with an optimistic attitude that helped set a positive tone for his performance on the course.Precisely focused, freshman Allen Carter practices his swing on the green grass during his 10th hold. Facing tough terrain and tricky greens, Carter focused on keeping his ball straight down the middle of the fairway. When a shot did not go as planned, he kept a positive attitude to make the next shot count. “I handled bad shots by keeping calm and trying to do better on my next shot,” Carter said.Freshman Ruben Lemus focuses intensely on his golf ball while aiming for a shot at the green. He spent the rest of his day working hard on his powerful long game to prepare for his first spring matches, taking a few final swings before tallying up his score for the evening.Senior Andrew Lantang watches his ball fly through the air after taking a powerful swing on the course. He spent the morning practicing his drive and took his very first stroke of the day against a backdrop of rocky mountains.Senior Fernando Larios watches his ball fly into the air after taking a powerful swing off the ground. He spent the afternoon working on his clean contact and practiced his strokes intensely before launching his ball down the course.
