Grip it, rip it and let it fly.
With winds gusting between 30 to 40 MPH on a hot day at the Malibu Golf Club, that’s easier said than done — just ask the Malibu High boys golf team.
Playing in less than ideal conditions, the host Sharks overcame the difficult elements to place third in last week’s Frontier League match. Temperatures reached 92 degrees as six teams navigated the challenging course nestled in the Santa Monica Mountains.
Led by senior Josh Corrigan, who shot a 92, Malibu finished behind Bishop Diego (488) and Fillmore (495) with a team total of 503. Santa Clara, Nordhoff and Santa Paula were in the bottom three.
“The conditions were incredibly tough,” said Corrigan, who took fourth individually in the match. “This was easily the hardest course we have played this year.”
MHS freshman Daniel Haines shot an impressive 93, followed by junior Matt Awbrey who carded a 97. Junior Tristan McGowan (110), freshman Cajun Holland (111) and junior Colby Parker (125) rounded out the Malibu score.
Corrigan, a four-year varsity player and a first-team all-league recipient as a junior, fired a six-over par 42 on the front nine. But the 6,614-yard course proved too demanding for Corrigan as he struggled with a 50 on the back nine.
“I started out really well,” he said. “But I fell apart on the back nine which was really frustrating. It was disappointing.”
Corrigan, who is a 10-handicap, had opportunities for birdies at holes 13 and 18 only to come up short. Despite posting no birdies on the day, Corrigan made several par saves that felt like birdies because of the swirling Santa Ana winds that engulfed the golfers throughout the afternoon.
At the par-four hole three, he knocked down a 12-foot par putt that broke on a 90-degree angle to settle right in the bottom of the cup.
On the ensuing par-five fourth hole, Corrigan crushed a shot only for the wind to carry it just outside the fairway. His third shot landed next to a bush slightly off the green but he was able to chip up and down for par.
Corrigan ended his round with three consecutive pars that brought some satisfaction to the fourth league match of the season. Previously he shot an 85 at Oxnard River Ridge, 83 at Ojai Soule Park and a 91 at Rancho San Marcos in Santa Barbara.
His combined total of 351 currently has him in third in league play. The top four players receive an automatic berth into the CIF Northern Divisional in late May.
“I wanted to win league this year but it appears to be a longshot,” said Corrigan, who will be attending New York University in the fall. “But going to CIF will be exciting.”
Awbrey’s combined score of 372 (93, 88, 94, 97) ranks sixth overall, just two shots behind for the fourth and final spot to make the postseason.
Corrigan and Awbrey are returning lettermen with experience from a year ago. Malibu finished in second in the Frontier League in 2013 but graduated a host of talented golfers.
“The kids are great. I really enjoy their enthusiasm,” Malibu coach Bob Misko said. “We graduated five players who scored for us regularly. We knew we would have our work cut out this year for us.
“But our word all year has been ‘improvement.’ Just get better. And some of the kids have improved remarkably and from a coaching standpoint that’s great.”
Haines has improved tremendously. After shooting a 116, 106 and 105 in his previous three league matches, Haines’ 93 at Malibu Golf Club might have been the day’s best performance. It earned him fifth place out of 36 varsity golfers.
Two weeks ago Corrigan shot a 38 on the front nine at Los Robles Golf Course while Haines had a 41 in a match versus Newbury Park High School.
Malibu has remaining league matches at Mountain View in Santa Barbara and Elkins Ranch in Fillmore. For Corrigan, it will be the last couple of matches to secure his spot for CIF.
“Josh is very consistent,” said Misko. “He’s a solid player and we are going to miss him next year, that’s for sure.”