SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GOLF ASSN. CHAMPIONSHIPS : Westlake Wins Title

Golf may be an individual sport, but don’t tell that to the Westlake High team.

The Warriors used a team-first attitude on Thursday and won their second Southern California Golf Assn. team title at the SCGA Players Club.

Alex Kuyumjian shot two-under par 70 to lead the Warriors to a 369 total and a one-shot victory over favored Santa Margarita.

But Matt McCrite’s scorecard probably sums up best how the Warriors won the tournament--consistency.

McCrite had 17 pars and a bogey for a 73.

Freshman J.T. Kohut came in at 74, Ross Fulgentis at 75 and Andy Sirivicha carded a 77.

“It was a pretty boring round,” McCrite said. “But it was for the team.”

It had to be.

Westlake had just one player, Fulgentis, who qualified for the individual tournament. Everyone else was there just for the team.

“We’ve been a team all year,” Kohut said. “It’s not just one person out there, it’s the chemistry. It’s somebody different every day.”

Fulgentis said he put the individual title out of his head after hitting a shot into the water and four-putting en route to an eight on the par-four third hole.

“I was ready to kill myself after that hole,” Fulgentis said. “I missed a putt, then I missed another one and then I missed another one.”

He recovered to close the back nine with six consecutive pars then opened the back nine with consecutive birdies and added another on 17 before finishing with a bogey.

“I figured we just had to all play our own games,” said Fulgentis, the team captain. “We looked at it as a team event instead of individually.”

*

In the individual tournament, virtual unknown James Donahoe of Hemet took the top honors with a 69.

Donahoe, who had never broken 70 before Thursday, had five birdies and two bogeys.

Russell Surber of Flintridge Prep finished highest among local players with a 71, tied for sixth. Todd Golditch of Chatsworth finished at 73, in a five-way tie for 11th.

“I was surprised at the scores,” Surber said. “I thought it would take a lot lower than that to win. It was playing pretty easy.”

Westlake’s score tied the 1995 Torrey Pines team and the 1971 Palisades team for the second best score in the tournament’s 26-year history. Westlake set the tournament record with a 362 at North Ranch Country Club in 1987.

After Westlake lost to Santa Margarita by nine strokes in the Southern Section championships May 13, Warrior Coach Dave Costley said he was worried heading into the final.

That worry turned to joy once the final scores were tallied.

“This is fun,” Costley said. “This is what it’s all about.”

For Granada Hills, which finished ninth in the 10-team field at 402, Ben Krug and Brian Vranesh each shot 76s.

Grant, led by Jordan DiNapoli’s 77, finished 10th at 415.