West Linn girls golf ready to challenge

The Lions are young, but do bring back some solid varsity experience for 2023.

Team: West Linn girls golf

Coach: Jason Strobbe

Team Leaders: Sophomore Anni Hansen-Neff, sophomore Megan Strobbe, junior Lilly Barger, junior Sienna Lambert and sophomore Alyssa Riehm.

Hansen-Neff and Megan Strobbe return after playing varsity regularly for the Lions’ 2022 Three Rivers League runners-up and third-place finishers at the Class 6A state tournament, while Barger, Lambert and Riehm notched one varsity match each last year.

Neff “is a powerful player, hits it far (and) will be a much more complete player when she masters her short game,” said West Linn coach Jason Strobbe, adding that Megan Strobbe “has a great short game (and) drives it well, but needs improvement in her ball-striking.”

Barger, Jason Strobbe said, “putts it well, but is inconsistent in her driving and ball-striking,” Lambert “hits it long, but is at times inconsistent off the tee and needs to putt it better,” while Riehm “hits it long off the tee, as well as irons, (but) needs to improve on her short game and consistency.”

League Race: Strobbe said he expects Lake Oswego — the defending TRL district champ fourth-place finisher at state — to lead the way, but believes his Lions can compete, too.

“Lake Oswego will most likely run away with the league title,” Strobbe said. “They have some very good, consistent young players that take the game very seriously. I would suspect (we) will finish second, and if I can get my 3-5 (players) battle-tested, it should be fun to go at Lake Oswego’s very young team as well.”