Growing Guardians Clicking on Course

GHS girls golf is again excelling this spring. From left, Morgan Peterson, Riley Savidge, Annelise Manzotti, Neeyor Devtale, Maya Manzotti, Sofia Cirillo, Kara Anderson, and head coach Ken Brase are pictured at Glastonbury Hills Country Club.  

Reigning conference champion Morgan Peterson is again leading the way for a girls golf team at Glastonbury High School that is young, deep in talent.   

Peterson is captaining the team with fellow junior Maya Manzotti and has picked up right where she left off a season ago, serving as the Guardians top-ranked golfer as she seeks to repeat as the Central Connecticut Conference (CCC) champion. 

Head coach Ken Barse said that Peterson has continued to top the leaderboards and her calm, positive demeanor is ideal for a group that is eager to learn.  

“She wears off on the other kids. She is a great influence and a rock for the other kids,” stated Barse. “Having her as that foundation is everything.”

In a recent home meet against South Windsor, Peterson and the Guardians had to pivot and play the back-nine at Glastonbury Hills Country Club because the front-nine had recently been aerated. 

The sudden change didn’t faze the Guardians, who beat the visiting Bobcats (194-228), despite being down two of the team’s top five golfers. 

Barse said it was a good challenge for his team, stating, “Curve balls are a part of life, and today our girls hit the curve ball out of the park.”

Peterson shot an even-par 36 to finish as the medalist, shooting birdies on 13 and 17. She secured the even score by getting herself out of a jam on the final hole before tapping in for par.
   
“It was a beautiful day and I was lucky enough to have knowledge of [the course],” said Peterson. “I missed a few putts, but overall it was pretty good.” 

With Manzotti and her freshman sister Annelise Manzotti missing the match, junior Neeyor Devtale stepped up and shot a 48 to finish second overall. 

Sophomore Sofia Cirillo placed third with a score of 50, shooting par on the 11th hole and staying consistent throughout the entire course. 

Barse recently paired Cirillo with Peterson, which has worked wonders during matches.

Peterson, who also served as a captain as a sophomore, said Cirillo “bloomed” towards the end of last season and has continued to shine this spring. 

Cirillo complemented Peterson's approach and patience, saying she has become a better player from being paired with her.

“I have learned a lot from her and how she thinks about the game,” added Cirillo, who recalled she was quiet last year and has
worked on the mental part of the game this spring. “Last year was all new to me; I didn’t even expect to be on varsity, but now I feel more confident.”

Two nights following the win over South Windsor, the team was back at full strength and defeated East Hartford (188-299) as they returned to play the front-nine at Glastonbury Hills. 

The Guardians occupied the top five spots with Peterson shooting a course-best 37, followed by Maya Manzotti (45), Riley Savidge (51), Annelise Manzotti (55), and Kara Anderson (61).
Barse, who is in his second year leading the program, stated that there is a noticeable difference with his team from a year ago. 

“They are more battle-tested; they are able to shake off the bad holes and persevere,” added Barse. “They are definitely a lot more confident and that goes a long way with golf.” 

After losing a pair of seniors in Caitlin Garland and Paige Annecchio to graduation, Peterson has assumed even more of a mentorship role, which she has embraced.  

“A lot of girls grew over the season last year so I came into this season thinking we could pick up where we left off,” added Peterson. “So far we have really built on it.”

Surrounding several wins is a couple of close losses to Cheshire. The first was a one-stroke defeat at home on May 3 and the second was a two-stroke loss at Southington Country Club on May 9.

Barse said capitalizing on a few missed putts would have made the difference, turning those close defeats into team wins. 
But Barse added, “that’s golf.” 

“This game will teach you more lessons in life than you probably care to have,” he stated. “I tell the girls, if this is the worst day of your life than you’re going to have a great life.” 

The Guardians travel to Rockledge Golf Club in West Hartford to take on Hall on May 23 and Goodwin Park in Hartford to face Wethersfield on May 24. Both matches tee-off at 3 p.m.