Murrieta Valley Finishes Second

Murrieta Valley took home the second-place trophy from the state golf championships Wednesday at Poppy Hills Golf Course, but the Nighthawks sure left feeling like winners.

It was bad enough that the team had to play without Josh Anderson, its 18-hole scoring average leader during the regular season, but Tuesday morning, Southern Section individual champion Rickie Fowler was stricken by a flu bug.

He was unable to keep food down during a front-nine 39 Wednesday but rallied with four birdies on the back nine, shot even-par 72 and paced the Nighthawks’ five-player score of 384. Murrieta Valley finished nine shots behind team champion San Diego St. Augustine.

“I’ll take that with what we’ve been through,” Nighthawk Coach Greg Ireland said. “As a coach you’re not supposed to be satisfied with second, but today, I am.”

Anderson shot a 68 to lead the Nighthawks to the Southern Section team title on May 12, but suffered a broken arm a week later and was lost for the season. Murrieta Valley showed its depth, however, and qualified for the state finals.

Wednesday, Andrew Cortez shot a 75, Tyler Pritkin shot a 78 and Stephen Stallworth shot a 79 as Murrieta Valley finished two shots ahead of San Mateo Serra and University of San Diego for second place. Fowler’s turnaround was crucial.

He credited a turkey sandwich and french fries at the turn for settling his stomach.

“I ate some food, and I was able to keep it down,” he said. “On the front, I was having trouble focusing. My legs were wobbling, and I was really weak.”

His 72 tied for sixth in the individual competition, three strokes behind champion Daniel Lim of San Jose Bellarmine Prep. Only five players bettered par on a course with tight fairways, long rough, extremely tall trees and fast greens.

“It was playing super tough,” said Brett Kanda of Flintridge Prep, the Southern California regional champion, who also shot a 72 Wednesday. “That 69 is a pretty good score.”

Lim, a senior headed for Stanford and a two-time winner of national junior tournaments, said this victory “ranks right up there” with past junior golf achievements, especially since it came on a course used in the rotation for the PGA Tour’s AT&T; Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

“It’s a huge accomplishment just to get here,” said Lim, who made three consecutive birdies on Nos. 9-11, including a 35-foot putt on No. 11.

Brian Locke of Playa del Rey St. Bernard tied with Fowler and Kanda at 72, the best scores for Southland golfers. Rui Takamatsu of Bermuda Dunes Desert Christian shot a 74 and tied for 10th. Cameron Tringale of Mission Viejo shot a 75 and tied for 13th.