When you think of high school sports, there is no doubt that golf is not the sport that immediately comes to mind. You first think of sports such as basketball, baseball, and football; the marquee sports of high school.

However, this year a Sonoma Valley High golfer shoved the sport to a forefront due to his electric play. 

Senior Anders Mathison is the captain of both the golf and basketball teams and has not only been recognized for both his performance in each respective sport, but also for his unique leadership skills. 

The Sonoma golf team have struggled in the past, usually finishing near the bottom of league play. This year however, with the boost of Mathison’s stellar play, the Dragons climbed their way up the league, finishing a solid fourth. 

Mathison’s play for the duration of the season was steady and spectacular, and when the season finished, he sat in third heading to the league championship, which was to be held in Fairfield at a neutral site. 

At the league championship the conditions were far from favorable, as heavy winds and poor greens saw many players struggling. The low score of the day came from American Canyon’s Brandon Torres, scraping together a respectable 79. Mathison’s play was shaky at times, but he stayed solid through the concluding holes to post an 82, which saw him remain in third for the league individual title, claimed by Brandon Torres. 

Mathison’s placement in the league championship earned him a spot at the NorCal championship NCS tournament, and he joined 143 others trying to vie for 1 of 18 spots in the state championship.

The conditions were rough, as inclement weather was headed for the course. For half of the six hour round, there were heavy winds and a torrential downpour, as well as some hail at some point. 

Mathison started off strong despite the conditions, but a few unfortunate double bogeys left him with a lot of work to do headed into the final four holes. With the wind still howling and the rain still pouring, Mathison birdied two of his final four holes, and lipped out for birdie on the concluding hole to finish with a strong 78. 

It turns out that one stroke had a lot more weight than he imagined, as it saw him sitting in a tie for 19th, one stroke outside of a trip to the state championship.

Despite the disappointing finish to the day, Mathison still should hold his head high, as he represented the school well, finishing an exceptional 19th out of 144 players.