Venice High Golfer Qualifies for State Finals

A week after leading the Venice High boys golf team to the City Section team championship at Griffith Park, Clay Yamaguchi excelled on yet another Southland course and now finds himself in the running for a state title.

The Gondoliers junior tied seven other players with a two-under-par 70 round at the Southern California Regional Tournament on Tuesday and earned the sixth and final individual qualifying spot into the state finals next Wednesday, June 8, at Poppy Hills Golf Club in Pebble Beach.

Yamaguchi had three birdies on the way to a 34 on the front nine Tuesday, then finished with two birdies and two bogeys over the final nine holes at Brookside Golf Club in Pasadena. Rounding out the Venice squad were Ryan Miyamoto (+4), Kevin Lundell (+5), Kevin Cullen (+7), Luke Almendariz (+12) and Peter Prior (+26). 

Only 16 of the 123 golfers shot under par and Yamaguchi was the only player from the City Section to do so. City individual winner Troix Tonkham of Sherman Oaks CES, Robin Jang of Van Nuys and Kornelius Baliukonis of Palisades each finished at two over par.  

Ben Doyle of La Jolla, Anthony Paolucci of La Jolla Country Day and Johnny Ruiz of Adolfo Camarillo led the field at four under par. 

Torrey Pines, Anaheim Servite and Santa Margarita will represent Southern California in the team competition. 

Yamaguchi is grouped with two other individual qualifiers, Alexander Schauffele of Scripps Ranch and Drew Bender of Monte Vista. They are scheduled to tee off at 9:30 a.m. next Wednesday, the fourth from the last of 16 groups.