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 Pearl Sinn-Bonanni was a three-time All-American at Arizona State (PHOTO: Eddie Meeks). Cal State Fullerton’s men’s and women’s golf squads were cut in the mid-1980s because of financial constraints, but both have been re-established and have already resumed play this fall. And though CSUF Athletic Director Brian Quinn says it will take time for the teams to be competitive in the Big West Conference, the first — and most difficult — step has been taken. “Orange County is such a hotbed of golf that it’s pretty much a no-brainer that we should have a golf program,” Quinn said. “And we have a full schedule and recruits. They’re almost all first-year kids and, since we got into this late, this year will obviously be a little bit of a struggle, but we feel we have some really good players who will improve and be very competitive quickly.” Jason Drotter was hired as men’s coach late last year, and Sinn-Bonanni was appointed women’s coach in March. A Huntington Beach native, Sinn-Bonanni was a three-time All-American at Arizona State who played in more than 100 LPGA Tour events. She also was a player board member on the LPGA and served as a golf commentator for ESPN. “Pearl brings a level of credibility to our program that is unmatched in our conference,” Drotter said. “I strongly believe that with Pearl on board, our women’s program can become a national contender in the next few years.” Sinn-Bonanni, who won the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship in 1988 and the U.S. Public Links Championship in 1988 and 1989, isn’t putting a timetable on the team or the players. “I’m staring with nine freshmen and will definitely need a couple to mature before I can expect great things,” she said. “I think it will be a good three years before we’re competitive nationally against schools like UCLA and USC.” This is Sinn-Bonanni’s debut as a coach, but she’s learned a lot from veterans like Arizona State’s Linda Vollstedt, a five-time NCAA coach of the year. “I’ve talked to her a lot and she has really impressed upon me that golf coaching isn’t about teaching golf technique as much as it is about course and time management,” Sinn-Bonanni said. “College golf is a team sport, but unlike many other team sports, it’s made up of individual efforts. So it’s incumbent upon me as a coach to bring out those individual qualities and make sure they mesh.” One name on the Titans that might resonate is Taylor Fowler, the younger sister of Murrieta native and new touring professional Rickie Fowler. Other players to keep an eye on include Micaela Guzman and Deidra Crabtree, two of the Bakersfield area’s top high school golfers, and Alicia Chavez of Lawndale. Sinn-Bonanni knows she needs more good players to establish a top program. “I’ve already been in touch with several top recruits, but I just want to be realistic and give myself three years to establish the kind of consistent seasons [that draw top recruits],” she said. “But I think there’s a tremendous amount of talent in Orange County and Southern California alone, and I just need to do my job and get our team out there performing and get them exposure.” |
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