Bollini’s Crossover Hit: He Wins Section Title

Nico Bollini’s putting stroke got all crossed up about three weeks ago, but he decided to stick with it.

Monday, his perseverance paid off. Bollini, a junior at Servite, carded a five-under-par 67 on a blistering day at Canyon Country Club in Palm Springs and won the Southern Section individual title.

Bollini, who recently switched to a cross-handed putting grip in an attempt to cure his putting woes, had three birdies and an eagle in his bogey-free round. He won by one shot over Mike Rim of Sunny Hills and Pan Singhaseni of Beverly Hills.

Brian Sinay of University, the defending champion who was trying to equal the section record with a third title, finished three strokes back in a tie for eighth.

“It’s pretty neat because I still don’t think I was hitting it that well,” Bollini said. “But when I gave myself chances, I was able to take advantage of them.”

Battling the 112-degree heat, Bollini was weary and dehydrated but still managed two birdies on his first nine. A six-foot birdie on his 14th hole jolted him into contention and then he holed out a 120-yard pitching wedge shot for eagle on No. 8, his 15th.

“Maybe I should play tired more often,” Bollini joked.

Holing the fairway shot helped, but putting, he said, was the key.

“I switched to cross-handed three weeks ago and I told myself that it was going to be bad starting out, but to stay with it,” he said. “I think it was the right way to go.”

It’s the first section title for Bollini, who is No. 9 in the national boys’ rankings.

“This is pretty important stuff,” he said. “It’s cool because Sinay and I are good friends so it’s kind of neat to knock him off.”

Sinay, trying to join Tiger Woods, Boots Porterfield and Mac Hunter as the only three-time winners, was relaxed in the days leading up to the tournament, but things changed once he stepped on the course. “It wasn’t easy,” he said. “There was pressure.”

It didn’t show right away; he started with two birdies. But that only added to the pressure. He hit his next tee shot behind a tree, made a bogey and never really found his rhythm after that.

“I kind of wish I hadn’t started birdie-birdie,” Sinay said.

A bladed wedge shot from the middle of the fairway sailed over the green on his 10th hole and led to another bogey. He would make two more birdies on his back nine, but mentally he never recovered from that bogey. “That was kind of the end for me,” he said. “But that’s OK. I’ll take a two-under.”

Rim made a 15-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to take second place.

The top 22 finishers advance to the CIF-SCGA finals June 6 at the SCGA Members’ Club in Murrieta. Other county players who qualified were Jay Choe of Esperanza, who shot 69, Jason Woodrome (Brea Olinda, 71) and Jeff Montoya (Costa Mesa, 72).