Charles Rich
A course that had been paradise for much of the first half of the
decade quickly turned unfriendly.
The members of the Crescenta Valley High boys' golf team had fared
well at De Bell Municipal Golf Course, the site where the Falcons
have won three Burbank High School's Invitational trophies since
2000.
Crescenta Valley saw its bid to capture a third consecutive title
go astray after it shot a 325 to finish fifth at the 43rd annual
event on Wednesday. Burroughs recorded a 302 to win the event -- one
of the longest-running tournaments in Southern California -- and
Valencia shot a 305 to finish second.
Crescenta Valley's David Langer, one of the 80 golfers who
competed, said many of the greens on the 5,631-yard course had
inconsistencies.
"I don't play here very often, but I had a bad day," said Langer,
who carded an 18-over-par 89 on the blue course in the shotgun
format. "Some of the greens were saturated and others were just bone
dry.
"It's a kind of course that can be easy or hard, and it depends on
placement.
"It's on your mind that you are trying to repeat for a third
time."
Bill Varsh turned in a respectable effort for the Falcons -- who
attempted to become the fifth area squad to win the tournament since
1998 -- recording a team-best 76 among the eight Falcons who competed
in the tournament. Varsh and Langer helped Crescenta Valley, which
will meet Valencia in an 18-hole nonleague match at 1:30 p.m. today
at Brookside Golf Course No. 1, win the event last year with a 309.
Crescenta Valley Coach John Pehar, who lost to Valencia High Coach
Rusty Swisher by a stroke in the Coach's Flight, said the Falcons
turned in a respectable effort.
"I'm happy with the finish," said Pehar, who has been a part of
Crescenta Valley's three tournament titles. "You've got some very
good teams here.
"There were some inconsistencies with the greens, but everybody's
got to play the course."
Justin Yu and Sol Jung each shot 80s for the Falcons, who got an
81 from Marcus Russell. Russell placed second in the C Flight behind
South Torrance's Kurtis Kuida, who carded a 75.
San Marino (309) and Claremont (321) finished third and fourth,
respectively.
San Marino's Kelvin Lo carded a 70 to win the A Flight. Kyle
Borggrebe of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame and two-time individual champion
Jeff Lobby each fired 71s, but Borggrebe earned second place in a
card-off.
Since the tournament's inception in 1961 -- a year as skipped in
the 1960s -- the tournament has provided a competitive stage for
golfers.
The event, which featured 20 teams from 16 schools, is sponsored
by the Burbank Men's Golf Club.
* CHARLES RICH covers sports. He can be reached at (818) 637-3228
or by e-mail at charles.rich@latimes.com.
