HIGH SCHOOL GOLF / CITY SECTION CHAMPIONSHIPS : Grant: From Nowhere to Title

Three years after Grant High’s golf program was reinstated, the Lancers are City Section champions.

Grant shot a five-player total of 398 at Encino Golf Course Wednesday and finished with a 36-hole total of 802 to win the first golf title in school history.

Led by Josh Siegel with a second-round 72, Grant charged from seven shots behind first-round leader Granada Hills to bury the Highlanders, who finished second at 397-420--817. Defending champion Taft rebounded from a bad first round to place third at 413-405--818.

Grant and Granada Hills advance to the Southern California Golf Assn. championships June 10 at Marbella Country Club in San Juan Capistrano.

Young Nam of Marshall defended his individual title, rolling to a two-under 70 in the second round to finish at 143, one over par. Nam, a senior, held off Aki Amaya of Birmingham (70-75--145).

Trailing Amaya by three shots after the first round, Nam shot 35 on the front nine and took the lead for good with a birdie on the par-four 14th, a 330-yard dogleg right. Nam cut the corner and drove the ball to within 20 yards of the green, then made a six-foot putt for birdie.

John Choi shot 78, Cory Karpin had an 80 and Mike Silverman shot 84 for Grant, the second team in the event’s history to emerge from the City 4-A League to win the team title.

Grant sophomore Elise Kimm shot a second-round 84 to give her a 36-hole total of 165, four shots behind girls’ champion Leanne Wong of Eagle Rock.