OAKLAND >> Matt Wotherspoon’s 4-under-par 68 wasn’t the lowest round among the 144 golfers who teed it up Monday at the North Coast Section Division 2 Championships at Metropolitan Golf Links in Oakland, but it’ll do.
The Kelseyville High School senior tied for the second-lowest round to easily make the cut into next Monday’s Division I Championships at Lone Tree Golf Course at Antioch. If he can make it past Antioch, the next stop is the Northern California Championships, which no Lake County boy has ever reached.
“The last time we had a golfer make it this far was 2008,” Kelseyville coach John Berry said. “Jonathan Bridges and Nick Schaefer of Kelseyville both made it that year. Matt’s finish (tied for second) is the best by a Lake County golfer.”
It was a good day all around for the Coastal Mountain Conference South of which champion St. Vincent Petaluma and Kelseyville are members. Not only did Wotherspoon bring home a medal with the best finish every by a Lake County golfer, but St. Vincent’s entire team qualified for next week’s tournament in Antioch by virtue of its third-place finish at Oakland. The Mustangs finished with a score of 317 (the combined total of the four lowest individual rounds out of six). Branson School of Ross won the team championship with 296 and Marin Catholic of Kentfield (316) edged out St. Vincent for second place by a single stroke.
Wotherspoon and teammate Mike Beverlin were competing in the sectionals as at-large golfers after Kelseyville failed to land a berth in the team competition despite a second-place finish behind St. Vincent of Petaluma in the CMC South. Beverlin carded a 97 in his final high school competition.
“Two years ago he was a triple-digit golfer,” Berry said. “I would like to say it’s through coaching that he improved but it was because of his hard work.”
Lone Tree Golf Course, the site of next Monday’s Division I Championships, should be a good fit for Wotherspoon, according to Berry.
“He has played in junior tournaments at Lone Tree,” Berry said. “I think he can be pretty effective there. His short game continues to be outstanding.”
Wotherspoon’s consistently strong play on Monday was evident on a scorecard that featured 34s on the front and back nines. He carded 12 pars, five birdies and one bogey.
“This is uncharted territory for Matt,” Berry said of Wotherspoon, who lost out in a playoff for the final berth into last year’s Division 1 Championships.
Ryan Grauman of Athenian fired the low round, a 6-under-par 66. Wotherspoon and Carson Levitt of team champion Branson tied at 68. St. Vincent’s Max Kleinecke tied for 10th place with 73. Among other CMC South golfers in the field, Geyserville’s Carson Kalbfleisch wrapped up his high school career with a 81 and St. Helena’s Douglas Collins carded a 99.
CMC North champion Clear Lake also participated in Monday’s tournament and the six-strong Cardinals squad, including seniors Mike Camacho, Brenden Allen, Sierra Powers and Jared Scott, finished with a team score of 494. Camacho’s round of 115 led the squad followed by Allen at 116 and Sarah Parlee at 119.
“It was tough for most of them because it was the first time they’re playing it (the course) and it was a tough course,” Clear Lake head coach Ted Mattila said.
Despite facing competition the likes of which they haven’t seen this season, Mattila said it was a “positive experience” for his golfers, especially the seniors.
“It was like the cherry on top for the seniors after a great year,” Mattila said.
Conditions were nearly perfect for the golfers with not much wind and temperatures in the low-70s.
“Idyllic,” Berry said.
