Aliso Niguel’s Myles Valentine had gone most of this golf season without drawing much attention.
That changed, however, during a recent stretch when he started making eagles look routine.
It all started about a month ago during a match against El Toro at Dove Canyon Country Club. He began his round with an eagle on the par-5 first hole and ended it with an eagle on the par-5 ninth. He posted a 4-over 40 that day, which is three strokes below his nine-hole average this season, and his score helped the Wolverines win the Sea View League match by two strokes.
About a week later, he recorded the rarest shot in golf — a double eagle. It took him all of one stroke to find the hole on the par-4, 286-yard No. 6 at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Course. Four holes later, he eagled the par-4 10th.
Valentine is not the only Aliso Niguel golfer to score an ace this season. Junior Nick Prudhomme has done it too, although his was a bit more conventional, coming on the par-3 No. 12 at Aliso Viejo Country Club.
Valentine, who sat out last season because of a broken collarbone, ended the regular season by posting the low score in two of the Wolverines’ last three matches.
Going out on top
Robert Deng medaled twice for St. Margaret’s last week, including a 3-under 32 in his final varsity match at Marbella Country Club.
Through 21 rounds this season, Deng has medaled 10 times, posted five subpar rounds, holed 28 birdies and has a 36.42 nine-hole scoring average.
Tournament time
Next week, all of the county’s leagues except the Trinity League will hold their individual finals.
The CIF-SS Tournament season starts May 6 with the Team Regionals. Most Orange County schools will head to Talega Golf Club, but the Trinity League is different once again, going to Sierra La Verne Country Club in La Verne. Those events will help set the field for the CIF-SCGA State Qualifying Regional on May 9 at Mission Lakes Country Club in Desert Hot Springs.
On May 13, individual play begins and most county players will tee off at the Southern Regional at Skylinks Golf Course in Long Beach.
Contact the writer: ddottore@ocregister.com
