Depth is Sailors’ strength

Bryce Alderton

In past years, the biggest detriment facing the Newport Harbor High

boys golf team was depth, or lack thereof, Coach Scott Tarnow said.

Scores would often balloon after the top two players, making

consistency difficult to achieve.

Not so this season.

Newport returns four from last year’s unit that went 12-8, 5-5 in

the Sea View League. The Sailors closed the season with five straight

wins.

Tarnow believes this year’s lineup is strong one through six.

“We have a couple leaders who are able to put up low numbers,”

Tarnow said. “In years past, we had good scores, but would fall apart

at 3, 4, 5 and 6. This year, all the guys have a chance of putting up

low numbers.”

Three of the four are four-year varsity lettermen: Davis Pemstein,

Rhett Palmer and Brandon Sowers. Senior Chris Willard is in his third

varsity season.

Sophomore Justin Morehead, junior Spencer Quinn and sophomore

Andrew Skjonsby are also expected to pay dividends, Tarnow said.

Quinn saw limited varsity action last year.

“Skjonsby’s swing is a lot more smooth,” Tarnow said. “I can see a

difference in his game.”

Pemstein led all Sailors with a 10th-place finish in the league

tournament last year, which also included Palmer.

The top five qualified for the CIF Southern Regional

championships. Pemstein missed by a shot.

Tarnow said Pemstein plans to walk-on in college and added that

Sowers would like to play at Saddleback College.

This year, Tarnow hopes one or two of his players will reach CIF,

but knows it will be tough in a league that features perennially

strong programs such as Foothill, Aliso Niguel and Woodbridge.

“We have one of the best leagues around,” he said. “You have to

shoot a really good number to [advance] out of there.”

To prepare for league, Tarnow beefed up the schedule with

difficult nonleague foes such as Dana Hills and Servite -- the latter

twice.

The Sailors, 2-2 as of Thursday, compete in the fourth annual

Estancia Mesa Verde tournament April 4 at Mesa Verde Country Club.