Pali High Golfers Defend Championship

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

On the PGA Tour, multiple rounds are needed to determine a champion, but the CIF City Section Championhip is a one-day tournament where one errant tee shot or misread putt can determine a player’s fate.

Palisades was the favorite heading into this year’s finals May 21, having taken first place at league finals the previous week, and although  Coach Dave Suarez had confidence in his team he knew from past experience that you cannot take anything for granted in an 18-hole event.

As the action unfolded the Dolphins made it clear that they were, in fact, the best team and by early afternoon the only question was who would win the individual title at Griffith Park’s Harding Course. 

Top to bottom, Palisades’ lineup was as deep as perhaps it has ever been. The Dolphins were a collective seven over par and finished 24 strokes ahead of runner-up Granada Hills. All six players placed in the top eight and each of them shot a 77 or better.

“We got off to a quick start and everyone played solid,” Suarez said after being handed the first-place plaque. “Our sixth guy shot 77 and it didn’t even count towards the team score. What I like about this group is that everyone is capable of going low. They all push each other.”     

Granada Hills’ Joseph Wong, who had fired a 66 on Griffith Park’s longer Wilson Course at league finals, birdied the last three holes in the finals and was the clubhouse leader after carding a five-under par 67. Playing alongside him in the first group was Palisades’ Jake Norr, who wound up with a one-over-par 73, which was good enough for third and one shot better than teammate Michael Conner, who was fourth with a 74. Mason Geller was fifth with a 75 and Cole Christopher was seventh overall (the Dolphins’ fifth and last scorer) after shooting a 77.   

Wong’s lead appeared safe until defending champion Luke Schultz  made a late surge as he did one year ago when he eagled No. 18 to force a playoff with Van Nuys’ Isaiah Kim and eventually prevailed on the sixth extra hole to become Palisades’ first individual champion since Ray Yang won back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017 with rounds of 70 and 72, respectively.

Playing three groups behind Wong, Schultz birdied the 15th and 17th and came to the last hole, a par five, two back of the leader. Schultz reached the green in two and had a 40-footer to tie. After taking several minutes to study the break he calmly tapped his eagle attempt toward the cup. It curled to within a few feet and Schultz easily made the birdie putt, settling for second with a 68.

“I don’t look at the scoreboard much [during a round], but when I was two over through four and saw I was only three back I knew I had a chance,” said Schultz, one of several Dolphins who lost his home in the Palisades Fire. “On the last hole I had a big breaking putt and I hit my line, it just happened to be low but congratulations to him [Wong]. It was a fun round of golf.”    

Palisades secured its section-best 24th team crown, second in a row and fourth in five years. Suarez is on quite a roll himself, also having guided the girls to four straight team titles.

“I still remember two years ago when we were the heavy favorites and our best player [Gavin Loughran] woke up with neck pain and didn’t play,” Suarez said. “You just never know what can happen.”   

Palisades with eight and Granada Hills with four have combined to win the last 12 City titles. Both schools advanced to the CIF Southern California Regionals on May 29 at Los Serranos Golf Club, where the  Dolphins shot 401 to finish ninth and the Highlanders shot 431 to place 10th. La Serna from the Southern Section won with a score of 362. Norr was the Dolphins’ low scorer with a two-over 76, followed by Schultz (78), Geller (81), Connors and Christopher (83s) and Bigalow (84).