Murrieta Valley outshoots Great Oak

What started as a calm and sunny Tuesday afternoon became a blustery and chilly one at Bear Creek Golf Club.. Those winds, combined with firm, fast greens and pins set for the professional mini-tour event that preceded it, led to tough scoring conditions in a match between Southwestern League boys golf championship contenders Murrieta Valley and Great Oak.

Led by Brayden Gilpin’s three-over-par round of 39 on the front nine, Murrieta Valley was able to survive the elements and open defense of its league title with a 205-212 victory.

Gilpin was steady in his round, with an up and down from the back left green-side bunker on the opening hole and finishing it with a birdie on the 500yard downwind par-5 final hole.

Jacob Alyward birdied both par 5s en route to a seven-over-par round of 43, which gave the Nighthawks an eight-stroke lead with one group in.

“The course definitely played tough, but I feel like I could’ve played better out there today,” Gilpin said. “Those greens were the firmest I’ve ever seen out here, and we really had to earn this win.”

Great Oak’s Sebastian Glenn started his round with a triple bogey, made four straight pars after missing short birdie putts on each of those holes, then struggled down the stretch with bogeys on three of his final four holes en route to a round of 42.

Sparks flew in the second group, as Great Oak (2-3, 1-1) cut the deficit to one stroke with two groups in. Koa Baur nearly holed a pitch shot on the final hole, bouncing it off the flagstick and setting up a short birdie putt.

Then Max Layton proceeded to drain a 70-foot birdie putt after his approach shot ran to the section of green separating it from the par-3 12th hole. Baur finished with a round of 40, while Layton posted a 42 to win their group by seven shots. Murrieta Valley’s Jayden Alden struggled to a round of 46 while playing partner Travis Mcsparran shot 43.

Clay Yarboro and Dominic Tavarite combined to play their last three holes as a pair in even par, posting rounds of 40 and 41, respectively, to help give Murrieta Valley (1-0 in league) the seven-shot win. Great Oak’s Harrison Budz eagled the par-5 third hole but finished with a double bogey and bogey to shoot 40.

“It’s very easy to make a big number in those conditions, but we battled down the stretch and took care of business on those last three holes,” Nighthawks coach Chris Mitchell said. “Every time we play Great Oak, we know it’s a battle down to that last group, and we expect it to be next month at Redhawk.”