Cougars Come In Second At SoCals, Advance To State Championship

COSTA MESA, Calif. - The College of the Canyons men's golf team sat in third place with a 372 after one round at the California Community College Athletic Association's Southern California Men's Golf Championship on Monday afternoon, but came back in the second round and carded a 361 to finish in second place and earn a spot in next week's state championship.

The trip to the state championships, which will be hosted by Monterey Peninsula College at Rancho Canada Golf Club, marks the second consecutive year that COC has earned a spot at the state's top tournament. Last year the Cougars came in second place at the state championship in a cardoff with Desert College. 

Orange Coast won the tournament with a 721 and will travel with the Cougars to the state championship.

COC finished the first 18 holes with a 12-over 372 at the par-72 Costa Mesa Country Club, following the lead of Riley Hayfield and Eric Kim who turned in a 71 and a 73, respectively. 

Following the first round, the Cougars trailed host Orange Coast College by 13 strokes and second-place Santiago Canyon by two strokes.

Canyons came surging back in the second round and bested its first-round score by 11 strokes with a 1-over 361, for a 36-hole total of 733, and took over second place. The Cougars had two golfers turn in under par scores and didn't see anyone card higher than a 75. Jake Katz lead COC in the second round with a 70, followed by a 71 from Sidney Wolf.

Hayfield finished the tournament in a tie for fifth place with a 1-over-145 (71-74) and Katz notched a 2-over-146 (76-70), good for a tie for ninth place. 

College of the Canyons will travel to the state championship on Monday, May 13 at Rancho Canada Golf Club.