Strong play sends Pirates to SoCal Regionals
CHINO HILLS -- The Orange Coast College men's golf team picked a good time to play one of their best afternoons of team golf as the Pirates earned a top-six finish at the Orange Empire Conference Championship and earned a spot at the Southern California Regional Finals, set for May 8.
At Monday's 36-hole OEC Championship, played at Los Serranos Golf Club, the Pirates opened things on the North Course and finished third overall with a team score of 371, trailing only Saddleback (359) and College of the Desert (362).
A pair of Pirates -- Samuel Carrillo and Braden Guerrero -- not only shot their lowest rounds of the season, they were the lowest scores of any golfer on the North Course on Monday. Both fired at the pins all morning long and walked back in 18 holes later with a pair of 4-under-par 68s.
Close behind that Coast duo was fellow Pirate, Zach Iwashita, who shot a 1-over-par, 73, while close behind were OCC teammates Cris Rodriguez (80) and Jordan Fahy (82).
The afternoon rounds for the Pirates were played on the longer, more challenging South Course, but the Pirates still played well, shooting a team score of 387, good for fifth place in bunched up, 10-team field, where four shots separated OCC from second-place COD for the low course score.
Iwashita showed no fear on the South Course and fired a 1-under-par, 73, which tied for low round of the day on that course with three other golfers. Carrillo was close behind with a 77, followed by Guerrero (78), Rodriguez (78) and Fahy (81).
The Southern California Regional Finals will be a 36-hole event, hosted by Industry Hills Golf Club on Monday, May 8.
