GOLF SOUTHERN SECTION CHAMPIONSHIP : 5-Under After 9 Holes, Woods Coasts to Title

By Tiger Woods’ standards, it may not have been his best round of golf, but the four-under-par 68 he shot Monday at Canyon Country Club was good enough to earn him the Southern Section high school individual championship.

Woods, a 15-year-old freshman from Western High School who is among the top junior players in the nation, beat his nearest competitor, Sunny Hills senior Richard Son, by three strokes.

Woods started play on the back nine, posting a birdie on No. 17 and an eagle on No. 18 to go five under par.

On the front, he made a couple of nice shots out of the rough after missing fairways, but was dissatisfied that he wasn’t able to maintain his momentum.

“Put it this way, it’s a disappointment when you are that hot and you don’t keep it going,” Woods said. “But it’s nice to shoot a 68. You can look at it two ways.”

Esperanza freshman Chris Berry, who finished with an even-par 72 and in a three-way tie for third, said he relaxed after he decided Woods couldn’t be caught.

“When I was on 12, I heard Tiger was six under on the backside,” Berry said. “I said, ‘Oh, good! I don’t have to worry anymore.’ ”