Talent coming to town

Bryce Alderton

Monday’s Estancia-Mesa Verde tournament at Mesa Verde Country Club in

Costa Mesa figures to showcase some of the top high school boys

golfers and teams in one setting, but they will be playing under

slightly different rules from the usual school matches.

The 24-team tournament, which begins with a noon shotgun start,

includes “some of the best teams around,” according to Eagles’ Coach

Art Perry, that include Brea, San Clemente, Marina, defending

tournament champion Woodbridge, Edison and Beverly Hills along with

Estancia, Newport Harbor, Costa Mesa, Arcadia and West Torrance.

Throwing a little economics talk in here, call the scoring the law

of increasing returns.

The two best scores per team, or foursome, will count for holes

1-6. For Nos. 7-12, each foursome will then count three of its four

best scores.

No one will be able to hide on holes 12-18 as all four scores will

count to the team’s overall total.

Woodbridge defeated Arcadia on a card-off last year after both

teams shot 221, Perry said.

The format offers a little bit of everything in terms of scoring

while maintaining an even playing field.

It provides a dose of best ball with stroke play and doesn’t

penalize a team if a few of its players have bad holes.

Golfers also receive the welcome opportunity to play 18 holes in a

competitive arena, which is not often the case this time of year with

high school dual-team matches.

“Everyone plays the same holes for the same scores, it works out,”

Perry said.

Mondays are usually slow days at most private golf courses, but

Perry said speed will be emphasized for this tournament.

“Our goal [for each group] is to finish in 4 1/2 hours walking,

to go fast,” he said.

Newport-Mesa teams entered into the tournament have all begun the

season with at least four victories and are in the thick of their

respective league races. Through Tuesday, Newport Harbor had the best

mark at 6-5, 3-1 in the Sea View League followed by Estancia (5-6

overall, 3-0 in the Golden West League) and Costa Mesa (4-7, 0-2 in

the Golden West League).

Estancia has a busy tournament day lined up.

In addition to the Mesa Verde event, Perry will send an additional

five golfers to El Dorado Park Golf Course in Long Beach to compete

in the Millikan tournament at noon.

The weather is slowly starting to warm and the competition is also

beginning to heat up this golf season.