The Ryder Cup is an annual tradition among the girls’ and boys’ golf teams here at Desert Mountain, marked by fierce competition.  This year, however, brought a delightful twist: instead of a direct face-off between the boys and girls, the match featured a showdown between the Maroon and White teams. Each group teed off at different times and included one boy and one girl from each team. The match was played as a scramble, in which each team hits their shots and then plays their next shot from the location of the best ball. Many players enjoyed this new format, noting that “the competition will be closer than previous years,” and that it felt “more exciting” and “easier” to play. For most of the players, this was not their first Ryder Cup, so they were thrilled to continue the tradition.

Co-captain Caroline Hoang remarked her feelings towards the match, “I feel excited, and I am confident that my team, the White Team, is going to win today!” Ryan Noll, a sophomore on the boys team added, “I am ready to beat the maroon team.”

Some newcomers shared a different sentiment. Abigail O, a freshman on the girls team, responded, “I’m scared; teenage boys scare me. As much as I like golf, I don’t want to do this because I’m scared.” Isabella Noll, a freshman on the girls golf team, brought humor to her worries, predicting that she is “probably going to miss the ball.”

As the match commenced, nerves were in the air; however, as the match continued, player Jonathan Ljungberg, a member of the boys team, shared his confidence in the victory of the Maroon Team.  Ultimately, after a thrilling evening of competition, the Maroon Team emerged victorious, solidifying their place as the Desert Mountain Ryder Cup holders.

Athletes share that they “really liked the way we did it this year” and that they “can’t wait to do it again next year!”