Last spring the Auburn girls’ golf team went 8-2-2 playing as an independent team after the Southern Worcester County League disbanded. This year Auburn played in the Central Mass Athletic Conference (CMAC) in the Central West North division with seven other teams. The Rockets added three more games to their schedule and concluded the season with an impressive 11-3-1 record.

The top three teams in the division move on to the sectionals and unfortunately both years Auburn finished in fourth place. Last year the Rockets were five strokes off the pace of third place and this year they were 18 strokes away.

Despite not playing in the sectionals, Coach Dave Cutler believes his team is built on a solid core of athletes, including the depth behind the top six.

Junior Sabrina Cooper, who picked up the game of golf a mere five or six years earlier, has been teeing off as the team’s top golfer. According to Cutler, Cooper is a natural athlete who achieves a good game on the links while maintaining her composure and focus. Cooper shot in the low 40s this season.

Right behind Cooper is Molly Grandazzo, a three-year player who was the coach’s go-to when he first arrived at Auburn.

“Last year as a junior when I first took over this team she was someone who would help me get things to the other girls,” he said. “She was a steady player, the leader of the team. Prior to this season she decided to take her game to the next level before entering her senior year. She signed up to play in more tournaments and has been shooting in the low- to mid-40s.”

Sophomore Alyssa Bonneau found herself in the third spot. She dedicated herself during the off season by getting a pass to the Blackstone Country Club to work on her game. 

The fourth through sixth spots are interchangeable with Ava Rocheford, Ava Herrie and Callie Guertin. Rocheford made the biggest jump this spring, working steadily to make herself a much better golfer.

Cutler calls Herrie “Mighty Mouse” due to her small stature, but she brings a perfect swing to the golf course, while Guertin has brought a lot of experience to the team this year. 

“As a coach I have learned that one through six doesn’t always matter where they play. More importantly, it’s who they play with,” Cutler said. “You need to make adjustments. You want to send out a duo that can work together, both having the same pace of game while being able to help one another with shots while on the course.”

In addition to the top six, Cutler has three other athletes who worked their way into the starting lineup. Senior Reece Leonard is a consistent player who accepted her role as an alternate this year. Leighton Romano and Sofia Dziubisk are freshmen who are learning how the varsity game works. 

“They are still young so I tried to pair them up with different golfers so they can learn,” the coach said. “Pace of play, not rushing, and how to score are some things they’re picking up. I also want them to know putts are more important than drives.”

With this season in the books, Cutler said goodbye to Grandazzo, Guertin and Leonard, his three seniors. Although the coach has a handful of replacements, he is going to recruit for next spring. Cutler said he will look for athletes who participate in other sports, but who may play golf on the side. 

Having Cooper, Bonneau, Rocheford and Herrie coming back next year will give the Rockets a solid top four to try to push their way into the top three to get to the sectionals.

“Next year will be pretty much the same,” Cutler said. “Staying with 15 matches seems to be a good number, especially playing in the spring when you never know how the weather will affect you over the first few weeks of the season.”

With Cutler’s guidance, Auburn will be looking to take their game to the next level while working hard during the off-season to be able to move up in the league and hopefully advance into post-season play.