WHITTIER – Mater Dei made it through the first month of the boys golf season undefeated, but on Monday at Candlewood Country Club, the No. 1 Monarchs finally met their match. With all four of its players breaking 80, El Dorado edged Mater Dei by two strokes to win the Herald Invitational, 304-306, and end the Monarchs tournament winning streak this season at two.
Led by a 7-over-par 77 from Mike Lascari, La Habra placed third with a 324.
“We are getting better. It is fun to come to this tournament. It is always good to beat Mater Dei in something,” El Dorado coach Wayne Carlson said.
Matt Lutz holed a 50-yard wedge shot on the short 283-yard, uphill par-4 18 for an eagle to finish with a 1-over-par 71, which led the Golden Hawks. Thomas Gutierrez carded a 75 for El Dorado while his teammates Cole Alexander – who birdied his final hole – and Tristan Koyl both came in with a 79.
“This is pretty huge, considering we haven’t been playing well as a team. We should be, but we have been struggling,” Lutz said. “We have the potential to be pretty good and go far in CIF. Today we finally put it all together.”
Lutz finished second in the individual competition at the Herald Invitational, two strokes behind first place Issei Tanabe. The Mater Dei freshman was the only player in the field to have a sub-par round, shooting a 1-under-par 69 with four birdies. One of those came on the 18th after he landed a 20-yard chip 5 feet from the hole.
“Chipping and putting is like defense is in basketball. You have got to always have it or you won’t win,” Tanabe said.
Marcus De La Rosa added a 75 for the Monarchs and was one of the three Mater Dei players to finish in the 70s.
Tanabe now has posted two rounds in the 60s in the three tournaments he has played this season for Mater Dei, giving him a cumulative score of 5-under-par.
He said the greens on Monday at Candlewood were not in the best of shape as they had recently been aerated, but being able to adjust to the tricky conditions is all a part of the game.
“In the PGA they face different types of grass and different types of speed (on the greens), so this was a good experience,” Tanabe said. “It does surprise me a little that I am the only one under par. But this was a good experience. For me, high school golf is all about the team, helping one another achieve to their maximum capability.”
