Stockdale finishes second; three other locals place in top 5

Stockdale takes second; three individuals advance with top-5 finishes

Playing in their own backyard, several area golfers had strong showings in the Central Section boys golf championships at Rio Bravo Country Club on Monday.

Stockdale finished second as a team and three area golfers finished in the top five to qualify for the Southern California Regionals, which is scheduled for May 26 at Pasadena’s Brookside Golf Course.

Bakersfield Christian’s Eric Schroeder finished third overall with an even-par 72, two shots better than fourth-place Michael Killmer of Highland. Liberty’s Ty Weaver tied with six others for fifth-place with a three-over 75.

The Mustangs advanced as a team, despite a rough day from David Chhuon Chan, the Southwest Yosemite League’s top performer. Chhuon Chan had the lowest score in all seven SWYL events this season, finishing the regular season with a 72.14 average, more than five shots better than his closest competitor.

But on Monday, Chhuon Chan struggled to an 86, scoring fifth on his own team.

His Stockdale teammates picked up the slack, led by Akhil Gorla and freshman Manik Anand, who each finished with a 76, one stroke better than their season average, and senior Pierce Idolyantes cut more than three shots off his average with an 80. Jacob Roland had an 82 to round out the Mustangs’ scoring.

Garces finished fourth, led by Ryan Surgener’s 77, missing qualifying for the regionals by one shot. Carson Sorci was one stroke back with a 78, and Palmer Bank, who has committed to play soccer at Stanford, finished with an 80.

Led by Weaver, Liberty finished fifth as a team. Teammates Jacob Borda and Dylan Hale scored a 79. Centennial was ninth, with Shawn Petty scoring the low round with an 80.

As an individual, Frontier’s Dean Simos eclipsed his 84.57 SWYL average by more than six strokes, finishing with a 78, and was oined by Desert’s Chris Riddle, who also had a 78.