Palm Desert Completes a Special Title Sweep

Palm Desert handily won the team championship in the CIF-SCGA finals Tuesday afternoon at the SCGA Members’ Club in Murrieta, becoming the first team in 11 years to win both the Southern Section and SCGA titles in the same season.

But everyone was buzzing about the impressive play of Fountain Valley’s Candie Kung.

Kung, a junior, shot a seven-under 65 in the morning round to win the CIF-SCGA girls’ individual title by five strokes. She had seven birdies and no bogeys to set a tournament and course record from the red tees on the 5,355-yard layout.

Hwan Hee Lee of Cerritos, Becky Lucidi of Poway and Hana Kim of Brentwood all shot two-under 70s to tie for second.

Kung also came back in the afternoon and shot a 76 from the blue tees on a 6,722-yard layout to help the Barons, who finished fourth at the Southern Section team finals, finish third.

Palm Desert won the Southern Section team title last month and won the CIF-SCGA crown Tuesday, comfortably beating second-place Clovis West by 10 strokes.

“I don’t think our guys realize what they’ve done” said Palm Desert Coach Tim Kabeary, whose team duplicated the feat Westlake accomplished in 1987. “I’ve been doing this for 11 years and the competition has improved so much. This is special.”

Palm Desert shot 369, led by medalist Brett Bockmann, who shot a three-under 69 in the windy afternoon conditions. Teammate Mike Beard shot 72 to finish fifth after players compared cards.

Bockmann edged Brea Olinda’s Alex Oh by one stroke.

Danny Phillips shot 72 to lead Clovis West (379), which finished two strokes ahead of Fountain Valley.