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Damian Dottore. Sports. HS Reporter.

// MORE INFORMATION: Associate Mug Shot taken August 24, 2010 : by KATE LUCAS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

PASADENA – Chris Adnams and his father Barry were headed home from Brookside Golf Course on Thursday when they decided to pull to the side of the road and take another look at the live scoring on their cell phone.

The Villa Park senior didn’t think his 1-over-par 73 in the SCGA So Cal Championships would be good enough to make the cut for the CIF State Championship. But as they looked at the updated leaderboard, they realized he might have a chance after all, so they headed back the course.

It was a wise choice.

While they were away, Charlie Chapman from Bullard of Fresno disqualified himself for signing an incorrect scorecard. (He shot a 73 not a 72.) Chapman’s honesty paved the way for Adnams to become the only Orange County player to qualify the CIF State championship on Tuesday at Poppy Hills in Pebble Beach.

Adnams had to survive a sudden-death playoff with Trevor Norby of San Marcos, who also posted a 73 and tied for 13th with Adnams. Adnams won the second playoff hole, draining a par putt on the 559-yard par-5 11th. Norby carded a bogey.

Norman Xiong of Temescal Canyon won the individual championship with a 5-under-par 67. Torrey Pines claimed the team title, finishing at 2-over-par 362.

“This is really exciting,” Adnams said. “I was kind of going back and forth between doubting myself and knowing that I could do it.

“I am just happy that I could pull through.”

Adnams was at even par when he teed off on his final hole, the 337-yard, par-4 ninth, but he pulled his approach to the right and short-sided himself in the rough. He pitched to within 7 feet of the pin, but missed his par putt and took a bogey to dropped to 73.

“I lost focus of keeping everything together. My main goal was just to keep my head down and hit a solid shot,” Adnams said. “But I went back to my tendency to pull it, so I missed the green and gave up some strokes. I was really hoping to hit the green and go one under.”

Adnams finished with three birdies and played the par-5s at 2 under par. He missed a 17-foot eagle putt on the par-5 6th by about an inch.

“It (73) is a good score, but I am thinking about all of the strokes I left out there that I would like to have back,” Adnams said. “I think I played well.”

Nick Swanson (Marina), Joseph Chun (Woodbrige) and Justin Kim (Sunny Hills) missed making the playoff by one stroke, coming in with a 2-over-par 74.

Chun said he had a hard time adjusting to the speed of the greens, so his putting suffered. Swanson lost his battle on the greens, too. He had a putt to get to even par on his final hole, but ended up taking a bogey instead to fall to 2 over.

“I rammed it (the putt) and it went way by,” Swanson said. “I saw the leader board and I knew I had to be even to give myself a chance. I am disappointed for sure.”

Northwood senior Samuel Kim injured his left shoulder in last week’s CIF-SS Individual Championship in Desert Hot Springs, but he still thought he could play well enough to qualify for state. He had to shorten up his back swing dramatically, though.

He posted a 6-over-par 78, but at one point during his round he was 1 under par.

“That is golf, you have to play through it (the injury),” Kim said.

Contact the writer: ddottore@ocregister.com