Stuart Gordon, the head coach of the Coronado boys golf team, is in the middle of his 21st season coaching for the Islanders and his expectations for this year’s varsity squad are high.
The varsity team is showcasing considerable talent, according to Gordon, and his goal is for the team to compete in the San Diego Section for this year’s CIF title.
“We are waiting to hear from CIF about one player to be approved to play this year who went to boarding school on the East Coast for the whole of his sophomore year,” Gordon said of Diego Vargas. “Once approved we will become one of the strongest teams in the San Diego region. At present we lie in eighth position in the county and over the next three weeks we play three of the top schools above us.”
Gordon suspects the whole team should qualify for the Sectional Region at Steele Canyon and Torrey Pines in May.
Ty Smock, Liam Weaver key contributors
Two standout players for the team are freshman Ty Smock and an already established contributor Senior Liam Weaver. Weaver won the Saints Golf Tournament last March after shooting a 73 on a par 72 course. Weaver and the team repeated as Saints Golf Tournament champions this year, shooting 71 on the same course.
“The game of golf has always been more than just my sport; it’s my lifestyle,” Weaver said. “Team golf here at Coronado High School has only broadened that lifestyle and has turned it into the most memorable experience of my life.”
“The game of golf has always been more than just my sport; it’s my lifestyle,”
Liam Weaver, Senior, Coronado Boys Golf
While Weaver has Division I —and even professional— golf aspirations, he and his teammates lean on the experience of Gordon for guidance and direction throughout the season.
“Coach Stuart has been coaching high school team golf for a very long time and he uses his experiences to help push us in the correct direction,” Weaver said.
Gordon explained that through his years of coaching he has learned to focus less on player’s drives, and more on their putting and chipping.
“Many of them get upset with their mishits which mentally affects them for several holes. For some, I suggest they hit the green rather than go for the pin on difficult pin positions,” He said, “I have also learnt which players to watch from a distance and which do not feel under pressure when I am close to them.”
As the season progresses and the Islanders continue to compete, Gordon will look to channel both the experience and talent of this squad as they take on the rest of the San Diego Section.
