The San Marcos boys golf team won the CIF Central Coast Division title at windy Cypress Ridge in Arroyo Grande.
San Marcos overcame windy conditions and a two-stroke penalty to win its first CIF boys golf title in 11 years.
The Royals had four players shoot in the 70s and scored 396 to capture the CIF Central Coast Division championship at par-72 Cypress Ridge Golf Club in Arroyo Grande.
San Marcos was the only team to break 400. Agoura was second at 402 and Santa Barbara third at 408. Dos Pueblos shot 422.
San Marcos and Agoura advance to the CIF-SCGA qualifier on Thursday at Mission Lakes CC in Desert Hot Springs.
“It was brutal,” coach Aaron Solis said of the conditions at Cypress Ridge. “Normally, there’s a breeze. The wind was blowing 20-30 mph with gusts between 40-45.”
Under those conditions, the Royals’ game plan was to grind it out. “It was a true team effort about grinding it out,” Solis said. “They grinded it out like none other.”
He said Niels Andersen was 7-over par after the front nine, but the senior told him “there was no way he was going to shoot 80.” He finished at 7-over 79.
In addition to the tough playing conditions, the Royals were hit with a two-stroke penalty. Solis said Andersen was missing his pitching wedge and it turned up in Chad Visser’s bag. That left Visser with too many clubs in the bag, and the team was assessed the penalty.
The penalty and Andersen’s high score after nine holes left Solis wondering if his team could pull through and finish in the top two to keep its postseason going.
The Royals did a nice job of grinding it out. Andersen played par golf on the back nine, Sam Metzger rebounded from a triple bogey on the next to last hole with a birdie and finished with a 77, Visser shot 78 and Anderson and Bennett Reichard both scored 79s. Chris Wong’s 83 also proved to be clutch.
“That was another round that easily could have gotten away,” Solis said. “He parred the last three holes.”
“Every guy’s round counted,” added Solis.
The title gives the San Marcos golf program a CIF banner each decade since the 1960s. It is the first team title in any sport at the school since the girls soccer team won in 2006.
The low round on the day was a 2-over 74 by Oxnard’s Mason Glinski. Torin Bjorklund was Santa Barbara’s low scorer with a 76 and Zach Steinberger of DP shot a 78.
The other division golf winners on Monday were Servite, Dana Hills, Great Oak, Marina, Loyola and Westlake.
