Palm Desert shoots under par as team to win CIF golf qualifier

Before Thursday’s CIF-Southern Section boys’ golf team qualifying tournament, Palm Desert High School head coach Chuck Mazet reminded his team they only needed to finish in the top four of the 14-team tournament to take another step toward a possible state championship.

Fourth would have been nice, but winning the qualifying tournament at Temecula Creek Inn was even better, the Aztecs said.

“We come to win every time,” said junior Luke Ringkamp, whose 4-under 67 led Palm Desert to a five-shot victory over Santa Margarita in the tournament to determine the four Southern Section teams in next week’s SCGA team championship. “It’s not that we have expectations, but to put it that way, we have expectations to win.”

Ringkamp’s 67 also tied him for second in the individual championship for the Southern Section, one shot behind winner Grant Leary of Crespi.

Palm Desert came to the CIF team qualifier off a disappointing fourth-place finish in a regional tournament in Long Beach on Monday. The difference Thursday was just stronger play, the golfers said.

“I was just hitting it better,” said senior Caden Breisch, whose 69 tied for second on the team Thursday with Max Margolis. “I just hit the ball better. My tee shots were better. At El Dorado (in Long Beach), I hit like zero fairways, zero greens. Today, I hit almost every green.”

“I would say course management was a big thing today,” Margolis said. “Especially going into the Stone (nine) blind. I think everyone’s course management was really good.”

Palm Desert’s 2-under 353 score on the par-71 combination of the Stone and Oaks nines at Temecula Creek Inn was good enough to make the Aztecs the only team under par for the day. Santa Margarita finished at 358, with La Serna at 359 and Sunny Hills of Fullerton at 362.

Those four teams will be joined by teams from the San Diego, Los Angeles and Central sections next Thursday at Los Serranos Country Club in Chino Hills. The top three teams from that event advance to the CIF state tournament in Pebble Beach the following week.

“It’s going to be a fun bus ride home,” Mazet said. “Monday (in Long Beach) hurt. The boys, well, that was not fun.”

Rounding our Palm Desert’s scoring Thursday were Austin Woods and Landon Breisch at 74 and Cash Tompoles at 76. Josh Householder, in the tournament as an individual and not part of the Aztecs’ six-player team, shot 85 and will not advance to the SCGA event as an individual.