By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
LAGUNA VISTA — Hanna’s Santiago Garcia is confident on the golf course.
The freshman continues to play with conviction this season and is peaking at the right time.
Garcia shot the best round of the day, a 3-under par 69, to lead the Golden Eagles to their best team score of the year during the first round of the District 32-6A golf championship on Wednesday at South Padre Island Golf Club in Laguna Vista.
Garcia does have a certain familiarity with the golf course. The first-year varsity player has estimated he’s played the course at least 20 different times.
“He’s always liked this course ever since he was small,” said Adrian Garcia, Hanna’s coach and Santiago’s father. “He shot a 72 (par) here in predistrict (last week). We’ve been working really hard. It’s an impressive score, but it’s a two-day tournament.”
The younger Garcia can’t explain what it is, he just feels comfortable here.
“I felt good and I’ve felt good about the golf course,” he said. “Lately, I don’t know. When I came to practice with the team, I’ve been playing with a lot of confidence here.”
Santiago actually was at 4-under heading into the last two holes, but he got caught in a tree and settled for a bogey on one hole. If he felt any pressure, it didn’t show. But it’s something to which he’s accustomed after round after round of junior golf.
“I’ve been in pressure so much, I’m just used to it,” Santiago said, not in a boastful way, more of a matter-of-fact way. “It makes me want to play better.”
Adrian said he holds his son and top golfer to a higher standard.
“It’s his first year, but I put a lot of pressure on him,” Adrian said. “Regardless what he says, he’s one of the top players coming in (to high school). He held his own so far. I’m proud of the kid, he’s doing well.”
One thing was different for Santiago, though. He usually keeps a score in mind while he plays, but Wednesday he didn’t.
“Today, I kept the same attitude the whole way,” he said of not worrying about reaching a certain score. “It was different.”
Wednesday’s round was only the second time Santiago has shot a 69 in tournament competition he said.
“I’ve never shot a 68 in a tournament,” he said. “But I’m comfortable here.”
Whether the low score can be duplicated in today’s final round remains to be seen, but Santiago didn’t show any signs of worry.
“I heard a quote from somebody, ‘We can’t win the tournament Day 1, but we can lose it,’” Adrian said. “(Santiago) likes the pressure, but we’ll see (today). No lead is ever big enough.”
Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.