Charging on Back Side

NEWHALL — Midway through the golf season, Charlie Smith was faced with a decision:

Either step up his game or live with regrets about his level of play.

The Hart High senior had made the wrong decision before.

This season, he finally got it right. As a result, Smith is The Times’ regional golfer of the year.

“I really kind of said to myself that I wasn’t going to slack off this high school season,” Smith said. “I was trying to make this season a good one.”

His regular-season stroke average of 74.6 wasn’t the best in the region, and his season-low score of 69 wasn’t the best score this year.

But few other golfers in the region put themselves in position to win as consistently as Smith.

The UCLA-bound Smith won the four-round Foothill League tournament at one-over-par, averaging 71.25.

He was medalist with a three-under-par 69 at the Southern Section team championships, tied for the region best at the CIF/SCGA individual championships at one-over-par 73, and was second among golfers in the region at the Southern Section North Regional when he shot 74.

He made double bogeys on two of his last three holes at the Southern Section individual championships, but still shot four-over-par 76.

Though he was a four-year varsity letter winner, Smith did not win a league championship until this season and thought he needed to prove his talent to teammates and to Coach Dennis Ford.

“I always felt I was better than I was showing,” Smith said. “Through high school, I never really had a time where I felt coach was proud of me. I always wanted to show him that I could play.”

That moment came when he shot 69 at Canyon Country Club in Palm Springs during the Southern Section team championships.

“I think that last year he took it upon himself to be the team leader to the detriment of his own game,” Ford said. “This year he just didn’t do that.”

Ford says Smith ranks with the best golfers he has coached at Hart, including Jason Gore, who recently qualified for the U.S. Open, and Jason Semelsberger, who played in the U.S. Open last year.

Smith’s 73 at the CIF/SCGA tournament matched the lowest round shot by a Hart golfer in that tournament.

“Tee to green he was hitting it better than any golfer I ever took down there,” Ford said.

Smith says he will cherish his memorable season as long as he plays golf.

“I felt like I finally accomplished something,” he said.

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THE TIMES’ ALL-REGION GOLF TEAM

Player of the Year

Charlie Smith, Hart, Senior

Regular-season stroke average of 74.6 wasn’t the best in the region, but nobody was in a better position to win week after week. Foothill League champion with 71.25 average. Medalist at Southern Section team championships, tied for region best at the CIF/SCGA individual championships at 73.

First Team

J.T. Kohut, Westlake, Junior

The two-time Marmonte League champion averaged 73.5 and was medalist in 13 matches. Tied for region best by shooting 73 at both Southern Section and CIF/SCGA championships.

*

Justin Ohye, Calabasas, Senior

Frontier League champion advanced to CIF/SCGA championships in first try. Stroke average of 74.1 was best for seven-time league champion Coyotes.

*

Jon Ohye, Calabasas, Senior

UC Santa Barbara-bound, he was second to his brother in Frontier League tournament and had stroke average of 74.7. Reached Southern Section finals before a wrist injury ended his season.

*

Russell Surber, Flintridge Prep, Senior

Three-time All-Region selection averaged 35.5 in Prep League, which plays nine-hole matches, and was two-over-par for the season. Tied for region best with 73 at CIF/SCGA championships. Has scholarship to Texas.

*

Ryan Wyman, Hart, Junior

Shot 19-over-par for regular season, the second-best season ever at Hart behind Jason Gore. Averaged 72.3 for the season and finished second in Foothill League.

Second Team

Brian Woolf, Alemany, Senior

Arizona-bound Woolf won the Mission League title for the second consecutive season and advanced to Southern Section individual finals.

*

Jeff Coburn, Nordhoff, Senior

UC Irvine-bound Coburn set a school record with a 75.0 stroke average for only team in the region that advanced to Southern Section team finals.

*

Kevin Coghlan, Notre Dame, Senior

Runner-up in the tough Mission League tournament helped the Knights earn co-championship.

*

Darrin Schneider, Granada Hills, Junior

Third-place finish in City Section was highest among players in the region. Stroke average of 75.5 helped Highlanders win City championship.

*

Keith Romar, Birmingham, Junior

His stroke average of 74.5 included a 66 in a regular-season match. His 74 at CIF/SCGA championship was the lowest among City Section players.

*

Ian Medlock, Westlake, Junior

Stroke average improved three shots, to 75.8, during final month of season and he advanced to Southern Section finals.

Honorable Mention

Krystal Shearer, Alemany; Saki Uechi, Granada Hills; Julie Park, Granada Hills. Top girls in the region held their own against boys, despite having to play from men’s tees.