San Marcos’ golf team celebrates a Channel League Championship at Montecito Country Club on Thursday.
It was an emotional day for the San Marcos boys golf team on Thursday.
The Royals celebrated a 396-423 victory over Santa Barbara High at Montecito Country Club that gave them a share of the Channel League title at 6-2. They then dedicated the win to former San Marcos golf and basketball standout Thayer White, who was the victim of a violent assault in Berkeley over the weekend.
White, a student at UC Berkeley, was one of two men struck in the head by a baseball bat early Sunday morning. He suffered a fractured skull and has swelling on the brain, San Marcos golf coach Aaron Solis reported. White is in the ICU at a Bay Area hospital. A suspect was arrested.
Solis said his players wrote the initials TW on their golf balls. “They were playing for him today.”
Junior Niels Andersen shot a 1-over par 72 to earn medalist honors in the match. Andersen rallied after being 4-over after five holes. He eagled No. 7 and made three birdies putts on the back nine.
Freshman Sam Metzger also eagled No. 7 and capped his round of 75 with a 25-yard downhill putt on 18.
Brandon Crane shot 79 to lead Santa Barbara (5-7 3-5)
San Marcos fielded a lineup with just one senior, three freshmen, a junior and a sophomore. The team went 13-5 for the season.
“It’s very satisfying,” Solis said of winning the title with such a young squad. “You always set the goal at the beginning of the year. But Dos Pueblos, with Grant Amerson and Michael Nam, and Ventura was awesome and so tough at home, I thought it was out of reach.
“I’m ecstatic to win it having such a young squad.”
RESULTS:
San Marcos 396
Niels Andersen 72
Ethan Habecker 87
Chris Wong 81
Chad Visser 81
Sam Metzger 75
Bennett Reichard 87
Santa Barbara 423
Brandon Crane 79
Eli Lux 84
Torin Bjorklund 87
Fabio Rodriguez 83
Kevin Flynn 97
Austin Coombs 90
