Playing in cold, wet and windy conditions was no picnic for the men’s golf team, as it placed fifth at the Diamond Valley match in Hemet Monday.
“The conditions were just terrible. It didn’t rain at the golf course but the wind was blowing at least 35 to 40 miles per hour,” coach Terry Titus said. “They had the course set up very, very tough,” Titus said.
The course was so difficult that out of 42 experienced college players, the best score anyone was able to shoot was a devastating three-over par.
“It’s a difficult and challenging golf course and with the wind blowing the ball into the rough or out of bounds, scores went up a bunch,” Titus said.
Mount San Antonio College with 396 points, finished in first place with Long Beach City following with 406.
College of the Desert placed third with 414, Rio Hondo shot 424, El Camino scored 440 and Victor Valley was last with 486.
Jason Campbell was the team’s leading scorer with a score of 85.
“The scores were a little embarrassing,” said first-year player Sylvester Sion. “The course was completely different from the time we practiced on it. But the next time we play there (Diamond Valley), we will be prepared for battle,” Sion said.
The team will return to the Diamond Valley course April 20 before playing its final match before the conference finals.
“I believe having played it twice will help if we get out there and it’s cold, wet and windy again; we will at least will have the experience of having played it before,” Titus said.
“We have played the course under the best of conditions and under the worst of conditions. Hopefully, we’ll get something in between,” he said.
To play in conference finals, the teams must be in at least fourth place, or if a team is in fifth place, it has to be within seven wins of the fourth place team.
“There has to be a chance that the fifth place team can take the place of the fourth place team,” Titus said. “Right now we are two and a half games behind Rio Hondo for fourth place.”
Even if the team doesn’t make it into the conference finals, it is possible that some of the players will be able to enter it as single players.
On the basis of season scoring average, first-year players Marc Kawasoe and Sion could enter the conference.
“Those two look like they have a legitimately good chance of making it based on how they have played this past season,” Titus said. “For the others (remaining players) to make it, they would have to have very good rounds for the next three events,” Titus said.
