Moon Able to Finish What He Started

Roy Moon of Royal High wasn’t content with winning a second consecutive Marmonte League individual golf championship on Thursday.

The UCLA-bound senior clinched medalist honors with a two-under-par 69 at Sunset Hills Country Club in Thousand Oaks and a league-record, four-round total of 274.

Last season, Moon went into the final round of league play with a seven-shot lead and shot a 78 to claim a three-stroke victory. He was determined not to repeat that effort.

Moon, The Times’ regional golfer of the year last season, birdied five of the first nine holes to secure a comfortable lead at the turn.

His 69 was one short of the Marmonte League record at Sunset Hills, set last season by Westlake’s Ian Medlock, now at New Mexico.

“My confidence went up a lot during spring break,” said Moon, who is 17-under par in his last five rounds. “There were a couple of records on the line. Last year, I was five-under [par] going into the last day [of Marmonte League play] and I shot a seven-over 78.

“I have more experience now, and that was the difference.”

He broke the league record of Westlake’s Russ Fulgentas by nine strokes and his 11-shot margin of victory was one shy of tying the league record.

“This course actually favored the other golfers because it’s a short course,” said Royal Coach Bob Mikso. “But his putting is so good that he was still able to win.”

Doug Miller of Westlake finished second at 285 and teammate Brian O’Flaherty was fourth at 293 to help the Warriors win their ninth consecutive team title, 1,489-1,516, over Thousand Oaks.

The Warriors have won the team title 15 of the last 16 seasons.

Royal was third at 1,539, followed by Simi Valley at 1,566, Newbury Park at 1,593, Moorpark at 1,669, Agoura 1,711.

Westlake, Thousand Oaks and Royal qualified for the Central Coast regional at La Purisima Golf Course in Lompoc on Monday.

The top six individuals advance to the Southern Section North regional on May 15 at Montecito Country Club in Santa Barbara.

Scott Fulkerson of Royal was third at 289. Also advancing were Simi Valley’s Mark Modglin at 294 and Thousand Oaks’ Kurt Taylor at 297.