ATHLETES OF THE YEAR / ALL-COUNTY TEAMS : Christensen Gives Team His Best Shot : Golf: Trabuco Hills senior, the Mustangs’ No. 1 player for the fourth year, comes through in critical situations.

One of the few rounds of golf that Mark Christensen struggled with this season came at an inopportune time: during the Southern Section individual championship.

In what Christensen calls his worst round of the season, he hit only four greens in regulation at Hacienda Golf Club in La Habra Heights, shot 81 and missed by four strokes advancing to the CIF-Southern California Golf Assn. championship.

But the bad day at Hacienda was a less-than-crushing experience for the Trabuco Hills senior. If he couldn’t have individual glory, there was always the team.

“Obviously, I wanted to do well in the individual tournament, but if anything was going to suffer I would have most liked it to be the individual championship,” Christensen said.

Time and again this season Christensen, The Times Orange County player of the year, practiced that philosophy, seemingly saving his best scores for team competitions. He was the Mustangs’ No. 1 player for the fourth year and helped them to their fourth consecutive Pacific Coast League title.

“Whenever we had a critical match, he would pull out a great round,” Trabuco Hills Coach Gary Sabella said. “He’s a real clutch player.”

Some examples:

--On May 11, Christensen shot 72, the second-best score of the day, to help the Mustangs finish second to Huntington Beach at the Southern Section Southern Regional at El Dorado Park.

--On May 18, Christensen shot 72, again the second-lowest score of the competition, to lead Trabuco Hills to fourth place at the Southern Section team championship.

--On June 8, Christensen had birdies on his final two holes, posted a 74 and led the Mustangs to the CIF-SCGA team championship at San Diego Country Club in Chula Vista.

Christensen’s 74 was the fifth-best score of the morning round, but because he failed to make the 22-deep cut at the Southern Section individual championship he wasn’t eligible to play that afternoon in the individual competition.

However, Christensen said he wasn’t disappointed because he had ended his high school career on a high note.

“I was just excited to pull it (the team title) off,” Christensen said. “It was a great cap to my high school career.

“At this level the team is the important thing because I can play individually whenever I want. I can enter a tournament whenever I want. But playing for my high school only happens once in my life, so I’m happy I could do what I could for the team.”

This fall, Christensen, who had a grade-point average of more than 4.4, will enroll at UC Irvine, where he has accepted a partial golf and academic scholarship.

“It’s just a new plateau I’m going to, and hopefully I can fit in and make an impact here and there,” he said.

The Times’ All-County Golf

FIRST TEAM

Player School Yr. Comment Mark Christensen Trabuco Hills Sr. Led team to CIF-SCGA championship. Scott Gibson Huntington Beach Sr. Medalist at Southern Section team championship. Jason Hewitt Santa Margarita Sr. Helped team to fourth place at CIF-SCGA tournament. Paul Hinkle Estancia Sr. Finished eighth at CIF-SCGA tournament. Scott Richardson Dana Hills Sr. Runner-up at the CIF--SCGA individual tournament. Tiger Woods Western So. Orange League champion; medalist at team regional.

SECOND TEAM

Player School Yr. Comment Chris Berry Esperanza So. Empire League champion. Ben Garner El Toro So. South Coast League runner-up. Joe Garner El Toro Sr. Helped team go undefeated in dual matches. Mark Mignone Trabuco Hills Jr. Qualified for CIF-SCGA tournament. Paul Ohshima Marina Jr. Sunset League champion. David Willbanks Woodbridge Sr. Sea View League co-champion.