Draganza is a Sea View sensation

BRYCE ALDERTON

Sometimes getting to the course is half the battle.

Newport Harbor High’s Natalie Draganza was 1 1/2 hours late for

her starting time at the San Juan Hills Country Club in the first

round of the Sea View League girls golf individual championships Nov.

3 because she was finishing a science project for school.

The rains came and Draganza, sans jacket, had to endure muddied

conditions to card an 83, still good enough to be tied with

Foothill’s Grace Park for the lead with one round to go.

Draganza, 14, extinguished her nerves by the next day and jumped

to a two-stroke lead after nine holes against Park and eventually

claimed her second consecutive league title by five shots.

She owed her victory to strong putting and chipping and a more

relaxed state on the final day.

“The second day was a lot better,” Draganza said. “I got to warm

up and was not rushed.”

Draganza finished with an 80 and birdied one hole. Not the best by

her standards, but enough to get the job done.

“I was aiming for the 70s,” she said. “I didn’t think I played

outstanding, but it was nice with what I shot to win.”

Draganza’s rise in golf began five years ago when she hit balls

with plastic clubs in the backyard under the watchful eye of Bill

Draganza, her grandfather.

A two-time defending league champion was born.

She took nearly five strokes off her scoring average this season.

The Costa Mesa resident had a 38.1 average heading into the final

week of the regular season.

Draganza attributes the lower scores to more time spent on the

practice range and a weekly lesson at Costa Mesa Golf & Country Club

with head professional Doug Booth.

“Last year I had [a lesson] every other week,” Draganza said. “I

also played more tournaments in the summer.”

This week she played with Coach Marianne Towersey to prepare for

the CIF Southern Section individual championships next Thursday at

Mission Lakes Country Club in Desert Hot Springs.

Last year Draganza shot 84 on the first day and missed the cut by

three shots.

“Last year I got nervous because there were a lot of good girls

out there,” Draganza recalled. “This year I am just trying to stay

calm.”

Draganza said her putting has improved the most from last year and

that the short game is the strongest link to her game.

She got a new Odyssey putter in late summer so that could be one

reason.

Beyond the equipment lies a level head.

In speaking with Draganza about a sport many consider to be

individualistic, she constantly repeated how important it is for her

to be part of a team.

“I don’t enjoy practicing or playing by myself,” she said. “We are

all close and good friends. On Fridays I will usually go out with

some of the other girls to hit balls or play.”

Even when she is on the course, Draganza thinks about her

teammates.

“I try to focus on each shot and if I have a bad one, to just

forget about it and start over,” Draganza said. “I will try to help

teammates along with their shots.” Near the end of the season

Kayleigh Horn the next lowest average for Newport behind Draganza

with a 40.1. The next lowest player had a 49.

“She is our mainstay,” Towersey said about Draganza. “Her

confidence level is up and she has a great perspective on golf.”

Coming into the season Draganza set a goal to shoot even par and

she has done that a few times, including carding a 65 to win the

Ladies Diamondback tournament Oct. 8, which Newport finished third

out of 20 teams.

“I would like to keep my scores in the 30s and then we win our

matches, that is what is really important,” Draganza said.