Breakers thinking big

ALISO VIEJO — Grace Komoroczy hit a few practice drives Tuesday at Aliso Viejo Country Club and declared herself ready to go. She had more time to get ready for the first match of the season, but she was prepared.

“You sure?” Laguna Beach High girls’ golf Coach Val Quigley asked, to which Komoroczy casually responded, “Yeah.”

A couple hours later, she proved it, shooting a two-over par 37 to nab medalist honors in a tri-meet against Aliso Niguel and Corona del Mar. Komoroczy’s round included a birdie and eagle, and though the Breakers finished third as a team in the tri-meet, they hope there’s big things ahead this season.

The rivalry with Estancia is a focal point. The last several years, the Breakers and Eagles have been fighting it out for Golden West League supremacy; they tied for first last year as they split their two matches.

The teams play twice this season, the first time Oct. 1 in Costa Mesa. Laguna Beach is the team that has the returning league MVP — Komoroczy.

“It’s really exciting,” she said of the rivalry with Estancia. “I was really nervous last year. I have a lot of energy toward beating other teams, and [Estancia] was a step up from the other teams we’d been playing in the league. I don’t know. There was sweat dripping down our faces; we were so nervous. It was really cool to tie with them.”

Komoroczy went to Torrey Pines in San Diego her first two years of high school before transferring to Laguna Beach in summer 2008 to live with her dad. Her freshman year, the team won a CIF San Diego Section title, and Komoroczy qualified individually for CIF both years at Torrey Pines.

“It helped me a lot,” Komoroczy said of playing with older, more experienced golfers. “It helped me deal with the course, deal with the other girls on the other teams. And [I learned] just to be myself and not so scared.”

No fear here. Her first year with the Breakers, she won league MVP when she shot a two-day total of 152 at league finals. She advanced past the first round of CIF Individuals to the regional at Mountain Meadows Golf Course in Pomona.

This year, Komoroczy said she wants to make it to the state tournament.

“She just rips the ball,” said assistant coach Sean Quigley, Val Quigley’s husband, who estimated Komoroczy is about a 2 handicap. “And she’s actually a good putter, an outstanding putter. You put the two together, and she scores.”

Komoroczy played in the U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur Sectional Qualifying this summer at Mission Viejo Country Club, as well as U.S. Women’s Open qualifying at Industry Hills. That kind of experience should help Laguna, which has other experienced golfers in senior team captain Jenni Coury, as well junior Christianne Kinder and sophomore Taylor Weiss. New players to varsity include junior Devin Altieri and sophomore Laura Kawashiri.

Graduate Karina Shaw was the Breakers’ No. 2 golfer last year, and third in the Golden West League. Her presence will be missed, but bringing back most of their nucleus has the Breakers very optimistic.

“Three of the four returning players were either first-team or second-team all-league last year,” Val Quigley said.

Laguna Beach also is playing most of its home matches at a new home course this year — Bella Collina in San Clemente, which Val Quigley said is a difficult course. But beating Estancia would make all that work worth it.

“It’s extremely competitive,” she said. “You can see the fire in their eyes.”