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Golf finale in Lodi features EHS senior Bruns
Golf Bruns
Teammates Areli Herrera, left, and Lori Brown, right, flank EHS senior Samantha Bruns, who completed her high school golf career with an appearance in the Division 5 Tournament. Photo Contributed

In action on Monday, Oct. 26 Escalon High School senior Samantha Bruns took part in the D5 Divisional Tournament, hosted at Micke Grove Golf Course in Lodi. She was the lone Lady Cougar golfer to qualify for the postseason tournament.

“There were a total of 10 teams who qualified from their league as a team,” explained Escalon head coach Chris Casazza. “In addition, more than 20 athletes were in the field who qualified as an individual, including our own Samantha Bruns.”

There were a total of 85 athletes in the field.

Casazza also noted that there is no stroke limit at the divisional tournament, while most leagues, including the TVL, enact a stroke limit per hole of 10.

“This is true for any head-to-head league match, as well as league 18-hole tournaments,” Casazza said. “This speeds up play, which is helpful, because sometimes matches take quite a while. The max 10 rule also is helpful to newer and less skilled athletes, who may otherwise post high scores, which could be discouraging.”

However, that stroke limit was not in place for the D5 tournament.

“For our Samantha, this rule is a non-issue, as she rarely, if ever, put up a 10,” Casazza said. “Samantha started the round playing really, really well. Over the course of the first nine holes, she was consistently in the top 10.”

Through the 18-hole tournament, she finished in 41st place, carding a score of 111.

“We were extremely proud of her for the way she played, as well as the way she represented EHS,” the coach said. “Always with sportsmanship, integrity, class.”

The senior also had what Casazza termed “a small, but dedicated group” following her on the course, watching from the cart path.

That group included her teammates, Areli Herrera and Lori Brown, who cheered her on, along with her father, Mervin Bruns.

“Coaches are responsible for marshaling a group, so I was not able to see most of Samantha’s round,” said Casazza. “But, after the group I was marshaling finished their round, I was able to get over to see Samantha’s last two holes, which was special for me, having coached her for four years. She will definitely be missed.”