OCVarsity has started releasing its boys golf preview for the 2017 season.
O.C. TOP 10 TEAMS
1. Servite: The Friars return all but one player from last year’s team which advanced to the SCGA CIF State regional qualifying tournament. A return trip this season seems likely. All seven of the Friars’ players has a nine-hole scoring average in the 70s. Coach Dane Jako said Qirui Xiao could be one of the best freshmen he has had on the team. Kyle Kinnane, who committed to LMU, and Brendan Gonzalez, who has a 35.9 nine-hole scoring average, are ranked in the top 20 in the state.
2. Foothill: The Knights finished second in the Servite Invitational at Western Hills Country Club on Monday, two strokes behind first-place Servite. Brennan Helmers, Matt Rawlings, Jack Sullivan and Jacob Loaeza all posted a score in the 70s. Helmers led the team with a 73 and finished second in the indivudual competition after losing a sudden-death playoff.
3. San Clemente: The Tritons return two of the best players in the county, Alex Pak and Christian Wentzel. They both finished in the top 15 of the CIF-SS Southern Individual Regional last season at Skylinks Golf Course. Pak tied for fifth with an even-par 72, while Wentzel posted a 74 and tied for 13th. Pak won the season-opening Servite Invitational in a playoff with a 1-over-par 73.
4. Mater Dei: Bill Rosenthal and Robert Drobka, who helped the Monarchs win the CIF-SS Western Team Divisional last season, return to the lineup. Rosenthal led the team with a 3-under-par 68, while Drobka added a 78. The Monarchs finished 8-over-par as a team, shooting a 183 at Meadowlark Golf Course. Andrew Hoekstra medaled in the match with an even-par 35.
5. Corona del Mar: The Sea Kings are young but loaded with talent, giving Coach Mike Starkweather one of the best teams he has fielded in some time. Sophomore Clay Seeber won the AJGA Junior All Star invitational in October. Starkweather also expects Guy Clauss to play a key role for the Sea Kings after consistently posting low scores on their home course, Newport Beach Country Club. He shot a 2-under-par 33 on the front nine there to beat University.
6. Northwood: Four of the Timberwolves’ top five golfers are back from last year’s team which finished second in the CIF-SS South Coast Team Divisional at Talega Golf Club. Juniors Derek Kim and Christopher Young each posted a sub-par round in the tournament. Kim came in with a 3-under-par 69, and Young added a 1-under-par 71. Kim consistently went low for the Timberwolves last season, carding a 6-under-par 29 at Oak Creek Golf Club.
7. Woodbridge: The Warriors are without last year’s CIF State champion, Hide Yoshihara, who graduated, but should still be competitive in the Pacific Coast League. Senior Joseph Chun, who signed with Cal, and sophomores Vikram Chatterjee and Paul Sun return. Last season, they posted a score of 73 or better at Talega Golf Club to help the Warriors card a 1-under-par 359 and win the CIF-SS South Coast Team Divisional. Chun, who has competed in a PGA Tour Monday qualifier, led the team with a 3-under-par 69. Chatterjee added a 72 and Sun fired a 73.
8. Beckman: Sophomore Jason Lee will be back in the lineup, leading a group of four returning letterman that Coach Cheyne Blair said will give the Patriots the experience to contend in the always competitive Pacific Coast League. Last season, Lee was one of the three Patriots who broke 80 during the CIF-SS South Coast Team Divisional at Talega Golf Club, shooting a 5-over-pat 77. Lucas Renner, Raymond Kim and freshman Ryan Kelly have joined the team this season, which Blair said should give the Patriots the consistency and toughness to challenge for the league championship.
9. University: The Trojans, Coach Charles Shea said, are loaded with potential. Senior William Tse will lead a young team. In a match against Nothwood last season, Tse carded a 5-under-par 30 on the front nine at Oak Creek Golf Course. This spring, Shea expects Tse to be more consistent. Connor O’Brien also returns. He started every match as a freshman last season.
10. Cypress: The Centurions return nine players from a team that won a second consecutive Empire League championship. Junior Roman Aragon and sophomore Tri Ha should keep the team competitive, as they both both have nine-hole scoring averages in the 30s. Aragon usually posted a 38 for the Centurions with Ha coming in with a 39. Juniors Johan Pedroza and Preston Narciso are close behind with scoring averages of 40.
Contact the writer: ddottore@scng.com
