Barber Closes Book by Tying for Fifth at 71

Tommy Barber of Notre Dame finished his high school career with another solid performance, but it came on a day when it seemed everyone was playing for second place.

Steve Conway, a UCLA-bound senior from Santa Margarita, set a tournament record by firing a seven-under-par 65 and winning the season-ending CIF-SCGA tournament Tuesday at the SCGA Members’ Club in Murrieta.

In the process, he led the Eagles to a team tournament-record three-under-par 357 and a six-stroke victory over La Costa Canyon.

All the record setting made Barber’s 71 and tie for fifth place seem like an afterthought.

Conway broke the record set last year by Ron Won of Irvine University, now at Stanford.

Santa Margarita broke the record of 362, set by the 1987 Westlake team that included Charlie Wi, Jerry Chang and brothers Mike and Chris Zambri.

“It’s OK,” said Barber, headed to Long Beach State. “I just couldn’t get any putts to drop.”

Barber, who tied for fourth in the Southern Section tournament and is nine-under par in his last four tournaments, had four birdies and three bogeys in his round and had nine consecutive pars during one stretch.

‘I’m happy with the score,” he said. “I definitely can’t complain.”

Conway shot five-under-par 31 on the back nine, making birdies on Nos. 10, 11, 13, 15 and 17.