Robert Gautney: Time for CIF to reshape its state golf championship format
| Wednesday, Jun 10 2009 09:24 PM
Last Updated Wednesday, Jun 10 2009 10:48 PM
OK CIF, it's time to change the rules for the state high school golf championship. Something is wrong with having three teams from Northern and Southern California compete for a title and then only awarding six additional players from each part of the state an opportunity to win an individual state crown.
And I'm not just writing this because two Bakersfield players lost out in a playoff after shooting 4-under-par 68 at the Southern California Regionals last week. It happens every year. Good players left out.
You see CIF, I understand your team mentality concept, but golf is an individual sport first, then a team sport second. You should reward more than just the lowest six players after the top three teams to advance into the state championship, which by the way was played yesterday (Wednesday), but results were not available.
And if you are going to let three teams of six players advance, then you shouldn't reward players on those teams with a chance to win an individual title when they only made it because they were part of a team. Are you going to tell me that every player on the three teams from So Cal -- La Costa Canyon, Oak Park and Westlake, deserve a chance like that when none of them beat Stockdale's Pete Fernandez, Jr. or Centennial's Manav Shah? In fact, none of them beat Garces High's Steven Harmer who shot a 70.
No question, they should be part of a team tournament, but they shouldn't have a chance to win an individual title.
That should be separate from the team event and if someone on the qualifying teams earns a spot, then they compete for an individual title too, not some teammate who shot an 80 or an 82 in the Regionals?
Expand the individual qualifiers to the low 12, or better yet the top 15. And if someone from a top-three team is in that group, in this case one player each from Great Oak and Westlake, then they get a chance to win a state individual title while trying to help their team win a title too.
With the top 15 from Northern and Southern Cal, you probably get another 15 or so players competing in the tournament and the field is a lot stronger. And don't tell me that money is a problem, that's a copout. Heck, those extra players would probably pay their own way!
So I say it's time for a change. Expand and let more quality players (who deserve it) have a chance to compete for a state crown. If those rules were in effect this year, Bakersfield would have had three kids competing for a state title -- and they all deserved it!
PATEL JOINS HOLLOWAY IN SCGA FINALS
Bakersfield now has two players who will be competing for a SCGA Amateur Championship.
Bhavik Patel, former BHS and current Fresno State University sophomore, shot a 2-under 69 at Sterling Hills GC on Tuesday to earn co-medalist honors and a spot into the 110th SCGA Amateur Championship July 17-19 at Wilshire CC.
Patel joined former Highland High and current San Jose State student-golfer Bryce Holloway in the field. Patel tied with Niall Platt of Santa Barbara. It took a 71 to earn one of the seven spots from a field of 77 players.
Bakersfield residents John Balfanz and Steve Roodzant will try to add to the finals' list next Monday at Marbella CC.
Tyler Hurst, former Stockdale High and CSUB star, narrowly missed qualifying when he was equal 13th with a 74 at El Camino CC on Monday. There was a playoff at 1-over 73 for the last two of seven spots in a field of 83 players.
SIGN-UPS CONTINUE FOR 20TH KC 4-BALL
Entries for the 20th Kern County 4-Ball Championship will be accepted through June 24 for the June 27-28 tournament at Haggerty-North Kern. Entry is $170 for the 2-player teams.
The KC 4-Ball is a better-ball event awarding both gross and net. Team partners must be within seven index strokes of each other, or the higher handicapped player must play down to that figure.
The tournament is one of seven Sports Authority/Michelob Ultra Player of the Year Series events in which the top 10 gross scoring teams earn points toward the 2009 Player of the year title.
Last year, current Fresno State player Bryan Hogan and former CSUB player Tyler Hurst shot the second lowest total ever when they combined for a 20-under 124 total. That was just a single shot from the record 123 established way back in 1993 by Scott Underhill and Chris Zumbro.
The opening-round record is the 13-under 59 that Underhill and Zumbro shot in '93 and the final-round record is 12-under 60 by Marty Trahan and Jeff Sande the year before, in 1992.
Prospective teams and/or players should call the NK pro shop at 399-0347 to enter or to get more information.
SHAIN QUALIFIES FOR OPTIMIST INTERNATIONAL
Frontier High's Meghan Shain shot an 84 to win the 14-15 age division in the Optimist International Championship qualifying at Green Tree GC in Victorville last week.
Shain will advance to compete in the Optimist International Junior Championship July 23-28 at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., where she will compete against other girls from all over the world.
CHIP SHOTS
* Eddie Pruett aced the 5th hole at RiverLakes Ranch from 135 yards with a pitching wedge.
Tee to Green appears weekly at Bakersfield.com/sports. You can reach Gautney at: rgautney@bak.rr.com.
