Marching on in CIF
BURBANK — Kelsey Danzeisen came only a few spots away from not qualifying for CIF Southern Section individual competition.
Danzeisen, a junior boys’ golfer from Burroughs High, placed fifth in the Pacific League Tournament, making the cut by two spots.
However, Danzeisen has proven over the course of the last two weeks that he belongs in postseason competition, as he has played well and advanced out of two CIF tournaments.
He took part in the CIF Individual Final Monday, which took place at Industry Hills Golf Club’s Babe Zaharias Course. Danzeisen fired a three-over-par-74, tying him for the fifth-best score of the day and a tie for 17th place. Kethan Reddy of Villa Park and Glen Lee of Valencia tied for medalist honors with 70s.
Danzeisen said he definitely had a strategy going into Monday’s tournament.
“I just wanted to treat it like any other golf match,” said Danzeisen, who is the only golfer from the Pacific League still competing. “I didn’t want to let myself think about it too much, I just wanted to go out and play.”
And play he did. He had three birdies, 10 pars, four bogeys and one double-bogey.
“I was really making my putts right and left,” he said. “And I was driving the ball pretty good. I was hitting the fairways and getting on the greens, and I was able to follow that up with my putting.”
Danzeisen qualified for the final by earning a spot out of the CIF Southern Section Northern Individual Regional at Las Posas Country Club in Camarillo on May 16. Danzeisen fired a five-over-par 76 to finish tied for 20th in the¿ event.
Burroughs Coach Greg Everhart said Danzeisen has definitely been playing his best golf of the season the last two weeks.
“His course management has been so good,” Everhart said. “He had a double-bogey during the round [Monday] and he came right back the very next hole and birdied. He definitely didn’t let it get to him. He also had two putts off the fringe for birdies. He was just hitting right down the middle.
“There was pressure, but he just played like he knows how to play. It was a good round for him.”
His effort Monday qualified Danzeisen for Southern California Golf. Assn. Regional Qualifier on Tuesday, with a chance to qualify for state contention. The tournament will take place at a venue that Danzeisen knows well — Pasadena’s Brookside Golf Course.
“I’ve played on that course a lot, and we play on it during league,” Danzeisen said. “Really, it’s a little less difficult than the pro-type of courses we’ve been playing [in CIF]. But it’s long and straight, and not that hard.”
Everhart said Danzeisen could have an advantage with his history at Brookside.
“Brookside is not our home course, but it is a course that we do play a lot during the course of the season,” Everhart said. “I told Kelsey that is the course he will be playing next and he told me ‘that’s easy.’ So, he definitely has confidence.”
The top finishers from the tournament will go on to take part in the prestigious CIF State Boys Golf Tournament on June 8 at the Poppy Hills Golf Course at Pebble Beach.