Haley Moore of Escondido and Mina Harigae of Monterey have claimed victories recently on the Cactus Tour, one of the few sports organizations in the United States that has continued competition during the Coronavirus pandemic.
The 21-year-old Moore (pictured), who played at San Pasqual High in Escondido, totaled 65-69-65—199, 13-under-par, to win by two strokes over Sophia Popov of Germany in a tournament at Sun City Country Club in Sun City, Ariz.
“I’ve played in these events before I went to Q-School and everything, and I just wanted to stay competitive through this time just because if I go home to California, there’s not really much stuff open right now,” Moore said in an interview on Golf Channel.
“In Arizona, they are keeping the courses open right now, so that’s a good sign. I think that just me being outside doing what I love with golf, I just love it better than just staying inside, but I’m also keeping healthy and staying safe, as well.”
Moore, who won twice on the Cactus Tour last season, is best known for scoring the winning point as the University of Arizona captured the 2018 NCAA Championship, and also claimed the 2019 California State Women’s Open.
Harigae, 30, who won three times in 2009 on what is now the Symetra Tour, shot 63-64-65—192, to win an event on Wednesday by a whopping nine strokes over Popov, who has won twice on the Cactus Tour this season, and by 12 over Moore at Longbow Golf Club in Mesa, Ariz.
As an amateur, Harigae won the 2007 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship and claimed the California Women’s Amateur Championship for four straight years from 2001–2005, the first when she was 12.
