Region Qualifies a Foursome

You might call them the Valley/Ventura County region’s version of a fearsome foursome.

Russell Surber, J.T. Kohut, Charlie Smith and Justin Ohye--consistently among the top golfers in the region all season--finished among the top 22 in the Southern Section boys’ individual championships Thursday at Friendly Hills Country Club and advanced to the CIF/SCGA tournament June 2 at the SCGA Members’ Club in Murrieta.

Surber, a Flintridge Prep senior who finished third in each of the last two CIF/SCGA tournaments, tied at three-over-par 73 with Kohut, a Westlake High junior and two-time Marmonte League champion who was runner-up in the 1997 Southern Section tournament.

Surber and Kohut finished fifth, six strokes behind champion James Oh, a sophomore at Lakewood High.

Ohye, a Calabasas sophomore, and Smith, a Hart senior, will be making their first appearances in the CIF/SCGA tournament after tying for 16th at 76.

“I’m glad I made it, that’s all I can say,” said Smith, who made bogeys on three of the last four holes. “If I didn’t I would have been upset, especially after that finish.”

Smith follows a long line of Hart players who have advanced to the CIF/SCGA championships, where the top players and teams from the Southern, San Diego, Central and City Sections square off.

Ohye is the first Calabasas player to qualify.

“It’s pretty cool, I guess,” Ohye said. “I just wish I could have played better.”

Ohye’s older brother, Jon, wishes he could have played at all.

After playing through the pain of a badly bruised thumb on Monday to qualify for the Southern Section final, Jon had to withdraw on Thursday morning because of a sore left wrist.

He aggravated an old injury while arm-wrestling at school on Tuesday.

“It was stupid,” said Jon Ohye, a senior. “I’m really bummed that I couldn’t play today. I got here and tried to putt, but I couldn’t even hold the putter.”

Ian Medlock of Westlake shot 79, Brian Woolf of Alemany shot 80 and Aaron Huber of Saugus shot 82. There were 19 players at 76 or better and six who shot 77 went into a playoff for the final three spots.

“It’s a tough way to end my high school career,” said Woolf, two-time Mission League champion, who has signed with Arizona. “I put too much pressure on myself out there. I thought I would need birdies on my last three holes and I went bogey, bogey, bogey.”

Smith, who left immediately after his round with Kohut to catch a plane for Akron, Ohio, where they will play in an American Junior Golf Assn. tournament at Firestone Country Club, was happy just to survive.

“This really isn’t the type of course that fits my game,” he said. “It’s short and tight, and I like it a little longer. But, hey, at least I’m going. It’s an experience I’ve never had before.”

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Southern Secion Golf Championships

TOP FINISHERS

1. James Oh, Lakewood: 67

2. John Ray Leary, Culver City: 70

3. Mike Beard, Palm Desert: 71

4. Nick Seymour, Foothill: 72

5. J.T. Kohut: 73

John Lepak, Los Altos: 73

Mike Mendoza, Bishop Amat: 73

John Poucher, San Marcos: 73

Brian Sinay, Irvine University: 73

Russell Surber, Flintridge Prep: 73