Pirates off to a strong start for 2016
COSTA MESA -- The Orange Coast College men's golf team is playing strong team golf through the first three Orange Empire Conference matches of the season, earning 13 wins and just two losses along the way.
Coast opened things at the two-round OEC Classic, held at Los Serranos Golf Club. On the par-74 course, the Pirates finished 3-2 with a team score of 412. Two days later, the Pirates edged the entire field for a 5-0 record and a team score of 377.
The following week at the Mt. San Jacinto Eagle Classic, held at the Soboba Golf Club, Coast again led the way with a score of 381, nine shots clear of runner-up Saddleback.
Through the first three weeks, Coast holds a three-win lead over second-place Saddleback (10-5) and the Pirates are five ahead of third-place Cypress (8-7).
OCC's Marcos Delarosa, who struggled a bit in his opening round (83), came back strong with a 73 during the second round of the OEC Classic and carded a 2-under-par, 70, at the Eagle Classic on Wednesday. He tied for the lowest round of the match, along with Saddleback's Troy Ditzler. Delarosa's 75.3 average through three rounds leads all OEC golfers through three weeks of play.
Sophomore Connor Hurst followed in Delarosa's footsteps, improving in all three rounds with an 81-78-73 to start the season. Hurst is fourth overall with a 77.3 average and is closely followed by a pair of Pirate teammates ... Austin Briggs (78.0) and Justin Collins (78.7), who both shot an 80 at Soboba.
Two other Pirate players -- Jordan Meas (82.7 average) and Ben Livesay (83.3 average) have each shot sub-80 rounds, giving head coach Sean Collins plenty of depth and firepower up and down his lineup.
"It's the type of team, where anyone can score low and have a great round," Collins said. "I'm hoping that with a little more experience, they all can shoot low rounds and we can really be a tough team to beat as the season progresses."
Coast will return to action on Monday, March 2 at the famed Navy Course in Cypress as the Chargers host the next OEC matchup, beginning at 10 a.m.
