From Tragedy to Triumph - San Vicente Ladies Golf Team 2025
From the 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.
San Vicente Ladies Golf Team started off the season with a win! As four teammates rode home, their drive turned catastrophic when they were hit by another car and all four ladies ended up in the hospital. Let’s take a step back and look at where this all started. San Diego County Women’s Golf Association has twenty teams separated into four divisions. Each team can have sixteen players and during a match they can only use eight players. San Vicente Ladies Golf Team is just one of those teams.
February 17, 2025, was day one of the season and our SV ladies team won their game. As one group of ladies headed back to celebrate this win, something tragic happened. 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 and then it spun around back through traffic and ended up hitting the other dividing wall where they ended up in the far-left lane. All four players were rushed to the hospital with serious injuries. With injured players from the car crash and four other players with their own troubles, the team was suddenly down half its roster. The team struggled to rebuild. They were still recovering from injuries but continued trying to improve both 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 up to 3rd place. They had one more match to play in the regular season. Playing at Temecula Creek Inn on May 8th they needed to beat them by 7 and a half points, and yes, they won. This win put them into the Playoffs. They were all so proud. With this momentum and a little bit of encouragement from their team members, they won their first Playoff game at Native Oaks on May 12.
Now with this win behind them, team Captain Cathy Knowles was thinking about who to partner with whom. Putting the women who supported each other and brought out the best in each other. Feeling like the sky was the limit, why not win the whole thing! Now the girls were playing together so well. Three of the ladies shot their personal best, Janet Flores, Angela Cowardin, and Suzanne Shupe. This team from Ramona came together and they took the Championship!
From the 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 became more than just a pursuit of trophies, it became a testament to perseverance, friendship, and the unbreakable human spirit.
Header photo by Sheryl Schlauch
Sassy one in the blue ribbon cowgirl hat is long-time team member, Lynda D’Amato and the one on the far left in Lucky pink hat is Angela Cowardin. Angela Cowardin, Suzanne Shupe, Angie Rios, Lynda D’Amato, Cathy Knowles, Virginia Kreiger, Paige Megna, and Corinne Hill.
