Take a quick glance at the Western League for San Diego high school golf, and it’s mainly dominated by Cathedral Catholic and La Jolla high schools. The area’s top 10 golfers all attend those two schools—except for one.
This is where Coronado High School’s Liam Weaver enters the picture.
The junior, who leads the Division 3 Coronado Islanders golf team, is the lone wolf in a league that consists of some of San Diego’s best Division 1 and 2 golf programs.
Second best in the league
The abundance of talent in the Western League overshadows the fact that Weaver is statistically the second best golfer in the league, and the scores he’s posted throughout this season leave him with a negative league differential—something only one other golfer has.
When you branch out from the Western League, and look at all of San Diego high school golf, Weaver is ranked 13th out of over 550 golfers in the county.
Weaver’s consistency has been on display all year considering he’s played in more matches than all 12 golfers in front of him in the rankings.
Weaver has kept his differential extremely low in 17 matches, while some of the golfers in front of him have participated in half as many matches as the junior.
Rarely taking breaks
According to Weaver, he’s able to remain consistent when playing more matches than anyone else by rarely taking breaks from golf throughout the season.
“I really don’t have an offseason.”
Coronado High School golfer Liam Weaver.
“I really don’t have an offseason. I play tournaments multiple times a month,” Weaver said.“I practice and play all year round so I always try to be prepared for all of my competitive rounds.”
The year round work that Weaver puts in has been reflected on the scorecards so far, and Weaver has found plenty of success in 9-hole matches.
Through 17 matches, Weaver has failed to break 40 only twice and finished even or under par in eight of those rounds during his impressive run.
Specific goals
According to Weaver, he had specific goals for his junior year.
“Coming into the year I was looking to get some match medalists, as well as a tournament win,” said Weaver.
With CIF tournaments looming in the near future, Weaver will look to remain on the steady track he’s been on as he hopes to come out of those events with a win.
Being one of the team captains, Weaver sees it as his responsibility to keep everyone—not just himself— level-headed as the season progresses into more high stakes matches.
“Golf is individual in a sense, but we are a part of something bigger as a high school team.”
-Liam Weaver.
“I try to help out my teammates as best I can. Maybe help them with shots, teach them rules, and the little things someone may not understand. Golf is individual in a sense, but we are a part of something bigger as a high school team,” said Weaver.
The leadership displayed from Weaver has developed a strong chemistry within the team, and according to Weaver, the bond the boys have plays a major role in how the team performs.
Feeling backed by his teammates and having a strong support system from head coach Stuart Gordon is just another reason why the junior has excelled this year.
“If you are playing with someone who is actively helping you, and allowing you to play your best, there is a very good chance you will play better,” said Weaver.
Division I dreams
Climbing up the high school rankings and posting consistently low scores has Weaver thinking about college, and the junior hopes to go big.
“My goal is to play NCAA Division I, but my idea is that I will play wherever I can get on a team. If I had to choose my dream school, I have a few. I would like to stay in California,” said Weaver, rattling off six schools. .
The current season and having as much success as an individual and as a team is what is at the forefront of Weaver’s mind right now.
According to Weaver, everyone has shown remarkable growth this season which is encouraging with more important matches coming up.
Weaver will have a few more matches in the month of April to possibly climb further up the rankings as he hopes to play in the CIF Championship Tournament in mid-May.
