Santa Margarita Reputation Secure After 24-Shot Victory

Before the first tee shot Tuesday at the Southern Section Southern Regional team golf tournament, Orange County golf coaches had conceded first place to Santa Margarita.

The evidence for the theory was overwhelming: the Eagles, perhaps the strongest team in county history, would be playing on their home course, Coto de Caza’s North course, one of the toughest in the Southland.

The proof, however, is in the playing, and Santa Margarita shot nine-over-par 369 to beat second-place Servite by 24 strokes.

The Eagles, Servite (393) and third-place University (397) advance to the Southern Section team championship Monday at Canyon Country Club in Palm Springs.

Santa Margarita’s score is believed to be the lowest in Southern Regional history. Last year, the Eagles won with 372 at El Toro Marine Base, but finished fifth at the Southern Section championship.

All six Santa Margarita players broke 80, something only 21 others managed on the 6,500-yard course.

Senior Steve Wagner was the medalist at par 72. Junior Kelly Craig shot 73, senior Greg Pittenger and junior Nate Blauer each shot 74 and sophomore Jimmy Dunn had 76. Junior Nick Fritz’s 78 was thrown out because only the top five scores count, but only six others beat that score.

Wagner and Craig each got as low as three under--Wagner after seven holes and Craig after nine--before faltering.

Craig three-putted his 10th and 11th holes and on his 14th, he drove into a hazard and made double bogey. “I had one bad shot and two bad putts,” Craig said. “The rest of my round was perfect.”

Servite also was expected to do well and the Friars had four players in the 70s, led by senior Jeff McGraw with 77. Sophomore Chris Arns shot 78 and junior Adam Ainbinder and sophomore Will Luciano had 79. Sophomore Dave Lauder (80) was the Friars’ other scoring player.

University’s finish was somewhat of a surprise. Before the season, the Trojans were expected to be strong, but they finished third in the Pacific Coast League.

However, at the regional, the Trojans had three players in the 70s, led by senior Bill Bodensteiner with a three-over-par 75, and beat fourth-place Brea Olinda (399) by two strokes. El Toro and Villa Park tied for fifth at 400.

Bodensteiner said he didn’t expect his team to advance. He finished second to freshman teammate Ron Won at the PCL individual championship and said he was concentrating on the Southern Section individuals this month in Goleta.

But Won’s 77, freshman Joseph Chang’s 78, senior Lee Orr’s 81 and freshman Chris Kugel’s 86 gave Bodensteiner something else to look forward to.

“I’m ecstatic,” Bodensteiner said. “None of us had even seen the course before.”