For the first time in the San Jacinto Valley, San Jacinto High School hosted a Girls’ Match Play Golf Tournament, marking a major milestone for girls’ high school golf in the area.
San Jacinto High School’s golf coach, Jim Stull, has organized an annual boys’ match play event for several years. Inspired by its success, Stull decided to extend the format to female golfers this year—and the response was overwhelmingly positive.
The tournament took place at the Golden Era Golf Course on the 24th and 25th of September and featured players from five local high schools:
- La Quinta High School
- San Jacinto High School
- Liberty High School
- Lake Elsinore High School
- Hemet High School
Parents, coaches, and spectators gathered to watch the girls compete in a match play format—a one-on-one style of play that differs from the more common stroke play. This style encourages strategy, mental toughness, and individual matchups rather than total scores over all holes.
Coach Stull praised the experience: “This worked out so well. The girls got a lot of golf and enjoyed themselves. In match play, coaches can be on the course with the players, offering direct support and strategy. One player from Elsinore even had her boyfriend as a caddie—it added a fun and personal element to the event.”
San Jacinto’s assistant coach echoed the sentiment: “This is great experience for the girls to come together to play. With this type of play, even lower-level players get a sense of what it’s like to compete.”
Liberty High’s head coach added: “It’s a lot of fun. The girls are used to stroke play, so this is new for them. But after two or three rounds, they really start to get the hang of it.”
Parents also shared their appreciation. Nathan Wheelock, whose daughter Trinity played, said: “I like this very much. It’s unique. It gives kids who are used to stroke play a chance to try something new. You can have one bad hole and still win the match—that’s a good learning experience.”
La Quinta coach Mark Williams noted how impactful the boys’ match play has been for his team: “The boys who played last year still talk about it and want to come back. That’s why I brought our girls this year—to give them that same experience.”
Coach Stull also highlighted the community support behind the event: “Golden Era doesn’t charge us to use the course, which is huge. I collect a small entry fee from the teams, and those funds go directly to support the San Jacinto girls’ golf program.”
Lunch for this event was prepared by the Hemet Sportsman Club.
Final Results
Championship Division (highest skill level):
🥇 Joanna Bushnel-Crist – 1st Place
🥈 Trinity Wheelock – 2nd Place
Silver Division:
🥉 Priscilla Guillen – 1st Place
🥉 Audrey Tranley – 2nd Place
Looking ahead, Coach Stull shared that the Boys’ Match Play Tournament is tentatively scheduled for February 2026 at the Golden Era Golf Golf Course.
For more information about the upcoming boys’ tournament or next year’s girls’ event, contact San Jacinto High School’s golf coach.
