Freshman golfer foils Salinas’ chance of winning T-CAL title;
GHS golfers place second in finals
CARMEL – Freshman Jordan Miller never forgot about being disqualified when Salinas questioned whether he properly identified his ball during a March 11 league match at Eagle Ridge GC.
Miller’s final tally was not counted that day due to the procedural violation and the Mustang duffers lost by two strokes to the Cowboys.
“The whole ruling thing in March was hard on Jordan and the team,” said head coach Eric Kuwada, whose squad was out at Quail Lodge GC in Carmel for Monday’s T-CAL Finals.
It took some time, but Miller finally got some payback.
Once again, Miller’s final score determined the match, since the first-year varsity golfer was in the last group with the league championship still up in the air between front-runners Salinas and Palma.
This time, however, there was no debating what Miller shot. His round of 88 not only catapulted Gilroy (420 team total) into second place by one stroke at the T-CAL Finals but dropped Salinas (421) into third place and gave Palma (406) the league title.
“There is a bit of irony in the whole thing,” said Kuwada, recalling the controversy in the regular-season match. “Call it Karma or irony that Jordan’s score would be the one to decide T-CAL champion.”
Palma won the T-CAL championship meet, but that did not mean the league crown until Miller pulled Gilroy past Salinas, which was in first place in the standings coming in to the tournament. If Salinas took second at T-CALs, it would have been the league champions. Instead, Palma won by a half point.
“Gilroy played the spoiler today,” Kuwada said. “We didn’t put up the greatest of scores, but it was good enough for second in the tournament. … When the dust settled, we beat Salinas by a stroke to give Palma the league championship.”
The Mustangs finished third in the T-CAL Standings, meaning they will have to petition for an at-large team bid for the CCS Sectionals May 10 at Rancho Canada GC in Carmel. Kuwada will present his case for one of the five remaining team spots at Thursday’s at-large meet at the CCS office.
“I believe our fourth in the Coyote Creek Tournament, as well as beating some schools head-to-head and our league record, will help us get one of those spots,” Kuwada said.
If the Mustangs do not qualify for CCS as a team, then senior Thomas Hoshida will compete as an individual. Hoshida’s team-best 76 at the T-CAL Finals was one short of medaling behind tournament winner Sam Campbell (75), of Salinas High.
The Gilroy line-up rounded out with senior Daniel Perry (84), sophomore Jami Binowski (85), senior Ryan Dinsmore (87) and Miller (88).
SPECIAL THANKS: The Gilroy High golf team’s fundraiser golf tournament on Saturday at Gilroy Golf Course was big success. “I would like to thank all the players that supported us Saturday in our fundraiser. It looks to be one of the most successful ones yet,” Kuwada said. “I would like to thank the sponsors, GHS golfers, parents, players, and the community for supporting us.”
