Newport Harbor gets revenge on San Juan Hills
SANTA ANA – Newport Harbor coach Scott Tarnow has seen where his team has to go, and after Wednesday’s victory against No. 7 San Juan Hills, he has no doubt the Sailors can get there and battle Los Alamitos for the Sunset League boys golf championship.
“Absolutely we have a chance. We have a lot of potential, and depending on the course … we have the potential to shock and upset people,” Tarnow said. “We are going to pick our spots. Golf is really the only sport where you can beat a much better team just because of home-field advantage."
Take the Sailors’ nonleague match against the Stallions on Wednesday. It was played at Santa Ana Country Club, one of the Sailors’ home courses, and Newport Harbor cruised to a 194-207 victory.
On Tuesday, the Sailors were on the road and No. 3 Los Alamitos, the favorites to win the Sunset League championship, shot 1-under as a team and cruised to an 18-stroke victory at Old Ranch Country Club.
"When you go to another person’s course, you have really got to put it all together to have any chance," Tarnow said.
When San Juan Hills and Newport Harbor met earlier this month, the Stallions edged the Sailors by two strokes on their home turf: Marbella Country Club. San Juan Hills, however, had to shoot a school-record 187 to pull out the victory.
On Wednesday, Carter Norris and Eli Gomez both led the Sailors, posting an even-par 36 on the front nine at Santa Ana Country Club. For Norris, it’s the sixth time this season that he has medaled for Newport Harbor and, Tarnow said over his last six matches, Norris is a combine 3-over par.
“We knew he was going to be good. He worked very hard last year, and you can see that he has really improved his game,” Tarnow said. “There are not a lot of moving parts (in his swing), so he can’t make any big mistakes. He’s not super aggressive, and he knows how to play to his game. He has got a good mindset.”
And the Sailors are going to need him to step up in a two weeks when the Sailors play host to Los Alamitos at Big Canyon Country Club, in a match that could decide the Sunset League Championship.
“Big Canyon is a tough course. It is a pretty good home field advantage for us,” Tarnow said. “I am using these preseason matches to put a lot of different guys in play, and I do think we have potential. But do we have Los Al potential? We will have to wait and see.”
