Darnells lead SACC clubhouse

For so many years, Margaret Darnell had trouble thinking she could become champion of the Santa Ana Country Club.

Marianne Towersey, who won the title 21 times, ruled the SACC. But she opened the door for new champs when she moved away two years ago. Darnell nearly claimed the championship last year but lost in a one-hole playoff to Nicole Ronald.

This year, Darnell wasn’t going to let the title slip through her fingers. She wanted to be a champion like her son, Dan, who won the junior club title in August.

Margaret Darnell wasn’t about to let her nine-stroke lead go to waste. Instead she won the SACC women’s championship by two strokes, 356-358, over Sue DeMille on March 16. Janet Holladay won the senior championship.

Sure Darnell shot 20-over-par 92 on her final round, but she assuredly did not let that ruin her joy. She sent a text message to Dan, a senior who was in class at Newport Harbor High.

The text simply read, “I won.” And, just like that there were two SACC champions in the Darnell family. A mother and son have not held club titles in the same year at the SACC since Towersey and her son, Chad, were winners in 1997, which was the final of three straight years the two won. It was a full family affair in 1996, when Towersey’s husband, Brian, was the SACC senior champ.

“It felt good this year,” Darnell said. “I had a hard time thinking I could be a club champion because Marianne won so many times.”

But Towersey is in Pebble Beach now and in her first year as coach of the Cal State Monterey Bay women’s golf team.

“I’m so excited Margaret won the title,” Towersey said of Darnell, who has been an SACC member since 1993.

Darnell nearly gave up that title as she held on to her lead in the final round against a surging DeMille, who was surprised to even be in contention.

“I was under the assumption I wouldn’t win anything,” DeMille said. “I was supposed to take pictures for the event, but I was so excited I forgot to take pictures.”

But a women’s title seemed meant to be for Darnell, who celebrated her 53rd birthday during the tournament on March 12.

Her son encouraged her and was happy she could join him as a club champion.

“I was really happy for her after last year when she lost by one. She was really down,” Dan Darnell said. “I was really happy that she could pull this out.”

Dan Darnell, who will attend USC and be a member of the business school in the fall, had a similar story in his quest to the SACC junior championship. In his first time competing in the event, he lost by one stroke, but three years later, he captured the title.

Last month, it was his turn to support his mom and hope that she could become a champion, too. That would be meaningful. Golf is a big part of the Darnell family. The two often play golf together and Margaret’s husband, Hank, also usually plays with them.

Dan Darnell wasn’t ashamed to admit he’s a momma’s boy, but he said that’s mainly because they get along so well.

This year, he’s a champion’s boy, too.