PREP GOLF : Placeres Walks Off With Title

Most of the top high school seniors playing in the Southern Section individual golf championship Monday already have college scholarships.

But none of them, or anyone else in the tournament, could come close to Vic Placeres, who plans to walk on at San Jose State.

Placeres, of Whittier La Serna High, shot a four-under-par 68 at Canyon Country Club and walked away with the title. No one else in the 128-player field broke par.

Dan Visosky of La Verne Damien, Ryan Klassen of Ridgecrest Burroughs and Randall Hunt of Cerritos Valley Christian each shot a 72. Visosky won a playoff for second place on the sixth extra hole. Klassen finished third.

The top 22 players, not including those who advanced with a team last week, move on to the CIF-Southern California Golf Assn. tournament June 7 in San Diego.

Placeres, two-time champion of the Del Rio League, hit 17 of 18 fairways and 16 of 18 greens in regulation. He had four birdies and no bogeys while matching the score Tiger Woods posted in winning the title on this course in 1991 and ’93.

Placeres was also here two years ago, but felt intimidated and shot an 83. Last year, he shot a 77 and lost in a playoff for the final CIF-SCGA spots.

“This year, I was kind of out for revenge,” Placeres said. “It’s my senior year and I wasn’t going to let myself miss the cut.”

Placeres said he has been told that he would probably be a redshirt freshman at San Jose State. Perhaps this round will change that.

“I’ve told my mom since I was a sophomore that when I get to college, it’s going to be a nice surprise for the coach who gets me,” Placeres said. “Because I’m unknown, but I’m a solid player.”