Vaqs win first event
Mathias Dahl is used to competing in tournaments, so he had little trouble adjusting with plenty at stake Wednesday during the second round of the Tee-Off Classic at Los Serranos Country Club in Chino Hills.
Looking for a second solid round in a row, the freshman turned to his long game for relief and helped the Glendale Community College men’s golf team win the event by three strokes.
“Playing in a lot of tournaments helped me and I went out there and did what I could to help the team win,” said Dahl, who carded an even-par 72 on the venue’s North Course to tie with teammate Richie Maloof for third with a two-round score of 146 and help the Vaqueros finish the tournament with a 749. “My ball striking was very good and I went out there and hit a lot of shots onto the greens.
“My putting wasn’t too good, but I did other things well. Winning this will give us confidence the rest of the way.”
Dahl started the tournament off with a two-over-par 74 on the South Course on Monday.
It marked the second time in three seasons that the Vaqueros won the tournament. College of the Desert finished second with a 752. Cypress and Orange Coast tied for third with a 762 in the 12-team event.
The Vaqueros began the tournament Monday with a 375, building a three-stroke lead over College of the Desert entering Wednesday’s round.
Maloof, a St. Francis High graduate and a reigning All-Area honoree, shot a 74 on the South Course on Wednesday.
Ryan Chotivichitr, who attended Glendale High, registered a 76 on the South Course on Wednesday and finished with a two-round total of 151 for the Vaqueros. Nick Quintanilla of Glendale college notched a 78 on the North Course and finished with a 151. Michael Timpson, a Crescenta Valley graduate and a former All-Area Golfer of the Year, fired a 76 on the North Course and recorded a two-round score of 152 for the Vaqueros, who got a 78 on the South Course from Clayton Ojeda (158).
“We haven’t come close to playing to our potential and we feel like we should have won by a lot more,” said Glendale college Coach Greg Osbourne, who guided the Vaqueros to the state tournament after placing second in the Western State Conference last season. “We do have high expectations, but we have to play to our potential.
“We did that during some points. I’m happy that we won our first tournament. They all have the potential to shoot 75 or lower and they all know what they need to do to improve. We need to do that if we want to win conference, the Southern California Regionals and state.”
Glendale finished second in the tournament last season.
The Vaqueros will next participate in the first conference match at 10 a.m. Monday at Valencia Country Club.
