Lakewood Ranch High's girls varsity golf team opened the 2026-27 season with a 63-stroke victory over Manatee High, winning 151-214 in a nine-hole match Thursday, Aug. 20, at Lakewood Ranch Country Club's Cypress Links course.

Four freshmen power the season-opening win

Chloe Friedberg, a freshman, earned medalist honors with a team-low 36 to lead the Mustangs, according to the school's Mustangs Ahead report. Jade MacFarland, a freshman, carded a 37, and Gabby Semmerling, also a freshman, followed with a 38. Liana Odendal, a freshman, shot 40, while Lexi Snell, a junior, also carded a 40.

The result means four of Lakewood Ranch's five players in the opener belong to the class of 2030, giving the Mustangs a young core that could anchor the program through their 2030 graduation. Snell was the lone upperclassman in the lineup.

Friedberg's 36 over nine holes set the pace for a team that posted consistent scores. The gap between the Mustangs' best and worst scores was four strokes, a sign of depth for a squad leaning heavily on first-year players in match competition.

Manatee's score dropped from earlier preseason event

Manatee entered the match having competed earlier in the week at University Park Country Club, where the Hurricanes posted a 204 in a four-team preseason event. Riverview won that match with a 181, while Wellen Park (217) and Lakewood Ranch Prep (222) rounded out the field, according to the Herald-Tribune. Against Lakewood Ranch's freshman-heavy lineup at Cypress Links, Manatee's 214 was 10 strokes higher than its score in that earlier outing.

Mustangs face Venice next

The Mustangs host Venice High on Tuesday, Aug. 25, at Cypress Links for their second match of the young season.