By Bill Evans Pahrump Valley Times

August 26, 2026 - 4:49 am

Raegan Saldana returned Thursday to the course where her freshman season ended and needed only nine holes to show how much progress she has made.

Playing the Desert Hawk nine at Boulder Creek Golf Club, the Pahrump Valley sophomore shot a 51 during the Class 3A Southern League opener.

That was five strokes better than the 56 she shot on Desert Hawk during last fall’s state tournament. It also put her two strokes below Thursday’s cut score of 53, allowing her to continue for the full 18 holes.

Saldana finished with a 102 after playing Coyote Run for the second nine.

The full-round comparison with state is not exact. Last year’s state tournament paired Desert Hawk with Eldorado, while Thursday’s tournament used Desert Hawk and Coyote Run.

Desert Hawk, however, provided a clean course-to-course comparison. Saldana’s 51 represented a five-stroke improvement — nearly 9 percent — on the same nine she played at state.

Before the opener, Saldana said her previous experience at Boulder Creek gave her a better understanding of how to approach the course.

“Going back to Boulder Creek does not necessarily feel different, but I have more knowledge of how to manage the course now that I have played it multiple times,” she said.

Course management was one of the primary lessons she took from her first state appearance.

“The biggest struggle was course management,” Saldana said before the season. “The mental side of my game definitely needed some work.”

Thursday’s five-stroke improvement on Desert Hawk gave her an early, measurable indication that the work has begun to pay off.

Senior Natalie Soto also competed for Pahrump Valley in her first match since returning to the golf program.

Soto shot a 56 over the opening nine holes, missing the cut by three strokes. Coach Sierra McKillips said Soto played well in her first tournament back.

“The girls did amazing on Thursday for the first league tournament,” McKillips said.

McKillips said both golfers came away from the opener with a better understanding of which areas of their games need the most attention during the coming week of practice.

“Overall, I am super happy with their game and sportsmanship on course,” she said.

The tournament was hosted by a Boulder City program that has won the past two Class 3A state team championships. The Eagles’ Emmerson Hinds has won three consecutive individual state titles and is pursuing a fourth this season.

Pahrump Valley will host the league’s next tournament Thursday, Aug. 27, at Mountain Falls Golf Club.

Contact sports reporter Bill Evans at wevans@pvtimes.com