Santa Margarita's Golfers Advance to State Championships

The season continued for a few local golfers, but for many it came to an end Tuesday at Brookside Golf Club in Pasadena, the site of the 2011 CIF Southern Section SCGA Regional Qualifying Tournament, and while the bulk of the 65 individuals and 10 teams were grounded for the summer after the results came in, the Santa Margarita Eagles were still flying high.

Riding the strength of phenomenal performances by Beau Hossler and Andrew Levitt, who both turned in three-under-par rounds of 69, Santa Margarita finished third overall in the team portion with a combined total of 374, and grabbed the region's final spot at the 2011 CIF State Championships behind first-place Torrey Pines (367) and runner-up Servite (371).

Ben Doyle of La Jolla and Johnny Ruiz of Adolfo Camarillo finished tied for the round low at four-under, only one stroke ahead of both Hossler and Levitt, but despite the fact the Eagles were 12 strokes better than fourth-place Venice, Santa Margarita coach Chuck Morales knows his team can perform better, and will have to perform better on June 8 at Poppy Hills in Pebble Beach.

"We had two 69s, but we also had two at 82, and they're par golfers, so I'm shocked. I'm very, very happy, but I'm shocked [that we're moving on]," Morales said. "We are under-performing. We have to do better because there are just too many good schools out there."

Pepperdine-bound junior Kevin DeHuff usually scores alongside Hossler and Levitt, but Santa Margarita's No.3 struggled Tuesday, turning in an uncharacteristic 82, as did No. 4 Jeffery Cheung to split the throw-out. Troy Ditzler and Daniel McCarthy picked up the slack on the back-end however, turning in a 76 and 78, respectively, and help secure the Eagles' spot among California's final six teams.

"In this sport, you all have to go low at the same time, and there's just no other way around it," Morales said.

Concord's De La Salle finished second to Foothill of Pleasanton in the East Bay Athletic League this season, but after Foothill won its fourth North Coast Section Title in six years on May 9, the Spartans took revenge on Northern California's biggest stage, grabbing the NorCal championship with an impressive nine-over 369 at Butte Creek Country Club in Chino. 

The Spartans edged Foothill and Robert Louis Stevenson of Pebble Beach by a stroke that day, and next week all three schools should prove formidable foes for the Eagles, who will have their hands full with their fellow southerners as well.

"The Northern teams are good," Morales said. "I think Foothill is going to be there, and De La Salle. Stevenson, from Pebble Beach, they'll be good and they'll have the advantage at Poppy. So, it's tough, and remember, you still have Servite, you still have Torrey Pines, and I've said all along, Torrey Pines is the No. 1 team in the state."

San Juan Hills senior Eric Taylor came within a lipped putt of joining Santa Margarita in Pebble Beach next week.

After finishing his individual round Tuesday at two-under 70, Taylor found himself tied with six other golfers, but with only three spots at state left to claim.

Taylor, who birdied a playoff hole a week ago at Industry Hills to qualify for Tuesday's round, split the fairway on the Hole 9 to start the overtime session, but his approach sailed left of the pin and into a tricky lie about a foot into the fringe.
Instead of chipping, Taylor reached for his putter.

"It was in a little hole on the fringe, so it bounced [coming off the fringe] and then it caught the collar," Taylor said. "One bad break, and then the next putt just broke more than I thought. I hit it right where I wanted to, so, I don't know, what can you do?"

Taylor's par putt -- which would've forced a second playoff hole -- lipped out, and the senior's trailblazing career at San Juan Hills came to a surprisingly abrupt end.

"Teamwise, we did better than expected and I was really happy with what we did as a team," Taylor said. "Even if I didn't make it through this round, I finished with two-under, you know? There's nothing to complain about. I made it here, with the rest of the Southern Section -- these are the top players in Southern California -- so there's nothing to complain about. I'm happy to be here."

Taylor birdied five, seven, 11 and 12, and bogeyed on three and nine.  He said he hit fairways and greens all day, but that putting was the challenge, a sentiment that was echoed by Hossler and Levitt.

"The last five holes were nerve-racking," Taylor said before the playoff round was announced. "I knew I needed a birdie, but I parred my last five and I know it's going to be close. I had birdie chances on just about every hole, except for 16 and 18, which were two good lag-putt pars."

Taylor said he's not a big fan of Kikuyu grass, but that otherwise he was pleased with Brookside, which was in good condition.

"It was a real surprise because I was hitting it really bad this weekend," Taylor said of his two-under performance. "The first hole was just horrendous. I almost shanked my tee shot. I ended up making bogey, but I brought it back."

Taylor and his twin brother, Owen, who missed out on participating in Tuesday's round by a only a stroke, will now head to Sacramento State University, leaving behind a legacy of golf excellence at San Juan Hills, San Juan Capistrano's first public high school, now 4-years old.

John Lee will likely join the Taylor brothers at some point along the American Junior Golf Assn. circuit this summer, an off-season that also began Tuesday for the Los Alamitos junior.

Lee shot a five-over 77 at Brookside after finding water hazards on back-to-back holes.

"I felt pretty good, save for a couple of holes, seven and eight. I hit both holes into the water," Lee said. "The course was pretty easy; it was just one of those days. It was a good season, probably one of my best high school seasons. It was fun while it lasted, but next year is the year."

Lee, who finished third last week at Industry Hills, said he plans on playing in a ton of tournaments this summer in anticipation of his last year with the Griffins. 

On Tuesday, Lee collected one birdie on the front nine and two on the back.