SGV/Whittier Prep Sports Zone: CIF State Boys Golf Regional - Freshman Phenom Soong and Steady La Serna Earn State Golf Spots
La Serna boys team wins team title, St. Francis' Soong secured an AQ bid into the state tournament.
La Serna HS Golf Team photo after winning CIF State Southern California Regional Title at Los Serranos Golf Club. (Escarcega)
CHINO HILLS – La Serna proved that their performance at the CIF Southern Section Division 1 finals was no fluke.
The Lancers clinched the CIF State Southern California Regional title on Thursday at Los Serranos Golf Club, winning by three strokes against Torrey Pines HS of San Diego with a combined score of 8-under par. San Margarita achieved the final qualification for the state tournament with a team score of 3-under par.
“The only thing that was different from the last couple of weeks was that the greens were a bit slower,” La Serna coach Jerrod Salvala said. “The course was what we thought it would be.”
Not only was this a win for La Serna High School, but it was also a victory for Friendly Hills Country Club, which the Lancers refer to as their “home course.” It is regarded as one of the most challenging courses in the San Gabriel Valley and Whittier area.
“It is a great course, but it’s difficult,” Salvala said. “The fairways are tight, and then you come to a course like this, where the fairways are a little more wide open, a lot of them hit the ball down the middle. They’ve all played golf since they were little, so this is not a surprise that we are here and competing well.”
The player who navigated the hills of Los Serranos exceptionally well was Hill Wang. The sophomore eagled the first hole, birdied seven others, bogeyed two, and finished in a tie for first place with a 7-under 67. In the playoff for the individual regional championship, Wang lost to Buena’s Brady McHenry.
“He’s very talented, but he works very hard,” Salvala said. “He’s special. He’s very dedicated to the sport. He’s very long off the tee and is an excellent putter. There’s not one thing, it’s a combination of things, and that’s the difference compared to the rest of the players.”
The other members of the team going to the Poppie Hills Course at Pebble Beach include Tyler Yao (-1, 73), Andrew Rodriguez (even 74), Joseph Gutierrez (even, 74), Jacob Palomares (even, 74), and Jacob Torres.
St. Francis freshman Jaden Soong. (Escarcega)
St. Francis’ exceptionally talented freshman Jaden Soong earned his ticket to the state tournament the hard way. He finished his round at 4-under par and participated in a four-player playoff to determine the final two automatic qualifiers for the state tournament. Soong achieved a par score on the 10th and 9th holes to secure qualification alongside Mater Dei’s Brayden Jones.
It was a significant moment for Soong, who is regarded as one of the top amateur players in the United States.
“I actually told one of my playing partners that I made it to state that it would be more exciting than some of the tournaments I’ve been playing,” Soong said, who also received an invite to play in a match play tournament at Bethpage Black Course in New York next weekend. “I felt excited after making some of the putts today, and I haven’t gotten that excited in a while.”
Soong’s drive on the par-3 ninth hole was affected by swirling winds, which forced the freshman to two-putt from a considerable distance to make par.
“I didn’t like (the drive) because I took too much off of it,” Soong said. “I played it earlier in the day, hit a nice 4-iron, and it was pin high. When I saw that it was a little bit downwind, I took something off of it with my four. I took too much off of it. I hit a nice lag putt, and I thought I made it.”
Soong tapped in par and secured his ticket to Pebble Beach. The state tournament takes place next Tuesday at Pebble Beach.