Riley Delays Rest, Gets Title : Golf: Patrick Henry senior continues to collect tournament victories by taking the CIF/Southern California Golf Assn. Invitational crown.

Chris Riley earned some much-needed rest and relaxation Monday when he won the 36-hole CIF/Southern California Golf Assn. Invitational.

It was the second prestigious title in as many days for the Patrick Henry High senior--Riley won the 72-hole San Diego City Amateur Tournament on Sunday--and his fifth title in the past 30.

“I’m on a Fred Couples roll right now,” said Riley, who routed the rest of the field with a six-under 138 on the par 72, 6,560-yard course at the San Diego Country Club.

“I’m real tired,” he said. “Seventy-two holes in three days is pretty brutal. I’m exhausted. I think it started to show those last four or five holes.”

Tell that to the other 11 golfers who survived the morning cut.

Riley’s last five holes included a birdie, four pars and a 245-yard three-iron second shot that soared over the green on the par five, 550-yard eighth hole (his 17th).

He did look tired.

“Look at him,” said Wendell Montague, Patrick Henry Coach, on Riley’s 18th hole. “He’s running down the fairway. The kid wants to go home. He looks exhausted. His face is drawn. His eyes are dry. Normally, he’s smiling all the time.”

Scott Richardson of Dana Hills was second, seven strokes back at 145. Eddie Lee of Corona was third at 146, and Mike Ruiz (Patrick Henry), Charlie Hoffman (Poway), Ted Oh (Torrance) and Jason Gore (Newhall Hart) tied for fourth at 147.

It was the second largest margin of victory ever in the tournament, the largest being a 10-stroke victory by Anaheim Western’s Tiger Woods last year.

Woods was not around this year. He opted instead to play in a U.S. Open section qualifying tournament in Daly City.

“I can’t say what he would have shot, but I know I gave it my all,” Riley said. “I would have loved to have seen him here. He and I have gone at it a couple of times in junior tournaments.”

The girls’ individual and boys’ team titles were much closer, but not altogether unrelated.

Kellee Booth of Santa Margarita survived a five-hole tiebreaker with Eunice Choi of Laguna Hills to win the girls’ championship. Each shot four-over 78s during the regulation 18 holes.

Warren’s Hyun Choi (no relation to Eunice) was third with a 79, and Debbie Kim of Poway and Betty Chen of Palm Desert tied for fifth at 80.

Using her 80 as an indicator, Kim’s decision to play only the girls’ individual round might have cost Poway the team title.

As it was, Trabuco Hills won with five of six golfers combining for 391 strokes. Poway was second at 393, a stroke better than Palm Desert and three better than Santa Margarita.

Kim would have needed only to shoot an 83 and Poway would have won its first title.

“I definitely could have shot better than (83),” said Kim, a junior, who added that her decision was based on not wanting to play two rounds and jeopardize her chances in the girls’ division. “I had to make the selfish choice this year. This is my last year to concentrate on individual tournaments and to get a college scholarship. Next year, I’ll do both. We’ll be back next year.”

As for Riley, he was steady and strong all day, despite the mental strain he has been under recently.

He birdied four holes and added an eagle in the morning round, then came back with four more birdies in the late afternoon round to increase his string to 11 consecutive rounds of par or better.

In addition to the CIF/SCGA and the San Diego City Amateur, he has also won the San Diego Section individual tournament, the section team tournament and the city leagues tournament in the past month.

A CIF/SCGA team title escaped him Monday--Patrick Henry finished fifth--despite Riley’s 68 and Ruiz’s 71.

Ruiz and Poway’s Hoffman, who also shot a 71, were tied for second entering the individual championship round.

Hoffman, who played in a two-some with Riley, is a 15-year-old freshman. Ruiz is a senior, and like Riley, is headed to Nevada Las Vegas this fall.