Constant revisions result in rewards

Rick Devereux

After Tiger Woods won his third Masters in 2002, he changed his

swing. Sunday, he won his fourth Masters with his new swing.

Champions never rest and always seek perfection, that’s why they

are champions.

Davis Pemstein was the back-to-back Most Valuable Player of the

Newport Harbor High boys golf team, but he took lessons over the

summer to improve his golf game and is having his finest season yet.

The senior earned medalist honors in three consecutive matches at

one point as well as helped the Sailors finish second in the 24-team

Estancia tournament. He also finished tied for fourth in a field of

140 golfers at the prestigious De La Salle invitational.

Pemstein has been named the Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week.

“He has such a great all-around game,” Coach Scott Tarnow said.

“There is no question his mental toughness is his strongest part of

the game. He has the ability to focus at the shot at hand.”

Pemstein wasn’t even sure he was going to make the varsity squad

when he first tried out for the team.

“I kept asking the coach every day how I was doing during the

tryouts,” Pemstein said. “When I came in as a freshman, I didn’t

think I was going to make the team at all.”

He did make the team, and Tarnow remembers what Pemstein was like

three years ago.

“I found him pretty interesting as a freshman,” Tarnow said. “He

was quiet and opinionated. He didn’t have as wide open a mind. He has

grown into a leader.”

He made a jump as a star golfer his sophomore year, earning his

team MVP award.

“I think I just practiced a little harder [the summer between my

freshman and sophomore year] than the other guys,” Pemstein said.

He continued to perform at a high level and earned his second MVP

honor as a junior.

So what does the soon-to-be captain do the summer before his

senior year?

Change his swing.

“I took lessons from the head pro at Santa Ana Country Club, Geoff

Cochrane,” Pemstein said. “He told me have soft hands, swing easy and

let the club do the work.”

Pemstein said he was discouraged when the season began because he

thought he had worsened his swing, not improved it.

“I thought I had lost ground,” he said. “It just took time to do

[the swing] correctly. Now I’m playing a stroke or two better than

last year.”

Pemstein is not just a champion golfer.

He is also a star student, earning a 4.0 grade point average.

“He has grown in almost every area of his life,” Tarnow said.

“From golf to his educational side, he has really grown into a man.”

One thing about growing up is taking on added responsibilities,

something Pemstein has not shied away from.

“[As captain] I have to oversee all of the scoring for our team,”

he said. “I have to make sure everyone is on time and everything is

in order.”

The Sailors improved to 9-6 with their 188-228 nonleague victory

over Western Wednesday.

While he has the talent to play collegiately, Pemstein said it is

not likely in his future. He wants to return the favor Cochrane did

for his game.

“I’m going to San Diego State academically,” he said. “My big wish

is to become a head pro at a golf course someday. I really want to

teach other people how to golf better.”