Southern Section Team Golf Final : Gilbert’s 74 Helps Millikan Upset Westlake for Team Title

Junior Brendan Gilbert of Long Beach Millikan High School surprised his coach, his teammates and the rest of the field Monday at Canyon Country Club, but more than anyone, he surprised himself.

Gilbert, the No. 6 player for Millikan, shot a two-over-par 74 and lifted his team to an upset in the Southern Section team golf final over two-time defending champion Westlake.

“A 74? I was thinking more like 80,” said Gilbert, calling the round his best of the year. “I was playing consistently. I was rolling in putts left and right.”

Jeff Manson, the 1987 Southern Section individual champion, led Millikan with a typical 73. Matt PeGan shot a 75, Stephen Plummer a 77 and Russ Insalaco an 83.

Westlake, the heavy favorite, got a 74 from No. 1 player Chris Zambri and 75s from No. 3 Charlie Wi and No. 6 Jerry Chang, but No. 2 Jimmy Chang toured in 81, leaving Westlake two strokes short at 384.

Costa Mesa Estancia and La Verne Damien finished tied at 396. Loyola’s Chris Francis shot a 71, 1 under and the low round of the tournament.

Westlake will defend its Southern California team title at the California Interscholastic Federation-Southern California Golf Assn. championships June 6 at La Jolla Country Club. The top four teams from the Southern Section meet qualified for the CIF-SCGA tournament.