From Tragedy to Triumph - San Vicente Ladies Golf Team 2025
With a wrecked car and recovering players, the San Vicente Ladies Golf Team's 2025 season became more than just a pursuit of trophies; it became a testament to perseverance, friendship, and the unbreakable human spirit.
February 17, 2025, was day one of the San Diego County Women's Golf Association Season, and our SV ladies' team won their game. As four of the ladies headed back to celebrate this win, the trip turned catastrophic. On their drive home, chatting happily about being champions, the great putts, and not-so-great shots, they were struck by another car. Their car careened into an embankment, spun around back through traffic, and ended up in the far-left lane, hitting the dividing wall. All four players were rushed to the hospital with serious injuries.
San Diego County Women's Golf Association is comprised of twenty teams separated into four divisions. Each team can have sixteen players, but only eight can play in a match. San Vicente Ladies Golf Team is just one of those teams, and with four injured players from the car crash and four other players with their own troubles, the team was suddenly down half its roster. They were still recovering from injuries but continued trying to improve their games and keep their spirits high. The team pressed on with a mix of players—some complete newcomers with no match experience and others seasoned veterans—but by midseason, they found themselves sitting in last place.
While restructuring their team was difficult, they remained diligent and maintained a positive 'can do' attitude. With some incredibly good luck, three of their next four games were on their very own San Vicente golf course. Continuing with their positive outlook and sheer determination through the matches, they rose to 3rd place. With one more match to play in the regular season at Temecula Creek Inn on May 8, they needed to be up by seven and a half points to win, and they did it! This win put them into the Playoffs. They were all so proud. With this momentum and a little encouragement from their team members, they won their first Playoff game at Native Oaks on May 12.
With this win behind them, Team Captain Cathy Knowles was considering which players to partner together. She wanted to pair the women who supported each other and brought out the best in one another. Feeling like the sky was the limit, why not win the whole thing? Especially now that they were playing together so well. Three of the ladies—Janet Flores, Angela Cowardin, and Suzanne Shupe—shot their personal best. This team from Ramona came together and they took the Championship!
From a wrecked car and recovering players to the roar of the championship crowd back at the Par Lounge, the San Vicente Ladies Golf Team's 2025 season showed the power of perseverance, friendship, and the unbreakable human spirit.
Header photo courtesy of Cathy Knowles.
Left to Right: Angela Cowardin, Suzanne Shupe, Angie Rios, Lynda D’Amato, Cathy Knowles, Virginia Kreiger, Paige Megna, and Corinne Hill.
