Girls golf teams are back on the course this season. The following are previews for Davis High, Bountiful High, Viewmont High, Woods Cross High and Farmington High programs.

Davis

The Davis High girls golf team returns to the course without All-State golfer Caylyn Ponich, who is now playing at Utah Valley University, and are just thrilled to get more than one tournament in during the 2021 season unlike a year ago.

“It was super sad to have everything just stop last year and we couldn’t play anymore,” head coach Lori Salvo, who is in her ninth year at Davis, said. “The girls worked so hard and it was Caylyn’s last year.”

This time around senior Victoria Castro will lead the Darts along with juniors Hannah Karras – who just dislocated her knee in practice but is playing through it – as well as Cheyenne Hansen, Quinn Shupe and Halle Johnson.

Also on the 2021 Davis squad are junior Bridgette Volk; sophomores Abby Lewis, Sophie Seeley and Emma Smith; and freshman Mia Schimmer. Salvo is being assisted on the coaching staff for the eighth consecutive year by Cyd Fox.

The Darts began the season March 12 with its first Region 1 tournament at Schneiters Bluff where Castro earned medalist honors with a round of 70. 

Hansen finished in second place with a 75 while Karras tied for eighth with an 89. Davis finished first as a team with a score of 326.

The Region tournament at The Ridge April 30. The 6A state tournament is slated to be held May 10-11 at The Ridge.

Bountiful

All-State golfer Vanna Einerson is back to lead Bountiful after missing her entire junior year with the spring sports shutdown. 

“We were in the middle of a practice round the night before our first tournament when we got word that everything was just being cancelled,” head coach Kurt Bosen said. “We were devastated. Fortunately, we were still able to get on the course and at least play golf amidst the pandemic even though it wasn’t in tournaments.”

This year, the Braves field a team of 23 players with Bosen, a Bountiful resident, taking over as the new head coach after assisting Jenny Hathaway the past seven seasons. 

Bosen was the state’s top amateur golfer in the 1980s while playing in nine United States Golf Association events – winning the 1984 Pacific Coast Amateur at San Francisco’s Olympic Club. He is teaming up this year with Dave Harada to coach Bountiful. “We’re a couple of old retired guys who love golf and love these girls,” Bosen said. “My thrill now is to watch these kids make a great shot. They are a blast to work with.”

In this season’s first Region 5 tournament at Schneiters Riverside March 8, Einerson shot a 74 to take medalist honors – by eight strokes – over Bonneville’s Aubree Johnson. Julia Springer had a career-best 87 to take fifth place. Kylie Chism recorded a 101 while freshman Breea Patterson, who had never played a round of 18, shot a 104 to take Bountiful from third place to second as a team. The Braves had three of their top five golfers out of town and were unable to keep their string of region tournament wins over the past few seasons alive, according to Bosen. Ella Snyder’s score of 109 and Jane Lewis’ 113 rounded out the lineup for Bountiful.

Also on the Braves team this season are Sydni Bott, Brielle Bailey, Dani Bailey, Ava Delamare, Ellie Frei, Greta Garrison, Lindsey Gee, Hailey Harrison, Natalia Hawkes, Brynlee Kuipers, Hailey Kuipers, Abby Lavin, Jane Lewis, Lilly Lewis, Kate Martin, Sophie Milne, Molli Murri, Kylie Ohlson, Holland Staker, Ella Synder and Isabelle Vernon.

Region championships April 29 and the 5A state championships May 10-11 at Spanish Oaks.

Viewmont

Nick O’Neal started his first season coaching the girls team at Viewmont in 2020 but it seems a little bit like a re-do this year since the Vikings never competed last year before the shutdown. Adri Summerhays is now a junior and will be leading the young Viewmont squad this season as O’Neal looks to build his program.

“We had 14 girls show up for tryouts and we kept all 14 so we’ll be looking for everyone to grow and improve individually and together while having a good experience,” O’Neal said. 

Also on the team this season will be seniors Brooklyn Burrell and Emma Hyde; juniors Beth Mitchel, Abbie Britt, Avery Browning, Celine Dimon, Savanna Rainey and Leah Wahlstrom; and freshmen Isabel Anderson, Averee Clark, Grace Frabrizio, Halle Salmon and Emily Trimming.

At the first Region 5 tournament at Schneiters Riverside, Summerhays tied for sixth place individually with an 88.

The Vikings placed in a tie for fifth as a team with Clark also putting up a 121 for her round of 18. O’Neal said the ultimate goal for him this year with his Viewmont squad is to get Summerhays to the 5A state tournament as an individual while helping everyone have fun and walk away with their own accomplishments and continue to pursue a love of the sport.

Woods Cross

Natalie Christensen and Sofia Mokofisi are Woods Cross’ top golfers returning this season after not being able to compete at all last year.

“There was some frustration knowing that other sports were able to at least get started where we didn’t get to play at all as we shut down before our first tournament,” head coach David Simon said. “We’re really excited to be able to play this year.”

In the first tournament at Schneiters Riverside, Christensen shot a 104 with Mokofisi adding a 114 in leading the Wildcats to a tie for fifth place.

Simon said he’s working with Christensen and Mokofisi to help them qualify individually for the 5A state tournament while he tries to build his varsity team.

Farmington

Farmington’s Maura Hawkes and Sydney Richards have emerged as the top Phoenix golfers as the season begins with the program that is aiming for “fewer putts and an improved short game to significantly lower scores,” according to head coach Stephanie Belnap.

At Schneiters Riverside, Hawkes shot an 85 with Richards an 86 to finish third and fourth respectively to help Farmington to a first-place showing with a team score of 365. Aubi Eaves, who is the team’s FIRST TEE ambassador for the program that teaches character through the game of golf, also had a top-10 finish with her score of 95 that placed her ninth.

Other scorers for the Phoenix squad were Brooke Taylor with a 99, Paige Olsen and Sophie Conners scoring 104s.

Also on the Farmington squad this year that is coached by Stephanie Belnap and assisted by Alex Lawrence are Maddie Baugh, Gretchen Davis, Tennessee Lawrence, Eden Page and Stella Poulsen.