At Thursday’s Gilroy City Junior Golf Championship, 16-year-old
Daniel Dockendorf’s game was as hot as the weather.
Gilroy – At Thursday’s Gilroy City Junior Golf Championship, 16-year-old Daniel Dockendorf’s game was as hot as the weather.
In oven-like conditions, Dockendorf, a Gilroy High junior-to-be shot a 7-over 42 in the nine-hole competition to win the 14-and-over boys division. Dockendorf beat out GHS golf teammate Andrew Heinzen, 15, who shot a 44, and 14-year-old Nick Gutierrez, who took third.
“This is the best I’ve ever shot. It was amazing,” said an upbeat Dockendorf after the round “Almost everything was going right for me.”
“This is the first time I’ve ever gotten a trophy,” he added.
Dockendorf said his best hole was the third, after which he parred four holes in a row.
“All my shots were …” said Dockendorf, as he made a straight, arcing motion with his hand. “And my putting was … fantastic? That’s a good word.”
Twenty-four young golfers turned out at Gilroy Golf Course for the competition, which was scaled back from three days to one this year. Gilroy Golf Club professional Don DeLorenzo said he found kids are more likely to commit to multiple one-day events rather than one long three-day event.
One golfer who would have liked a couple more days of competition was Kristen Campos, a Central Coast Section qualifier for the Mustang girls’ golf team last year. She won the girls division Thursday with a 44.
But Campos described that performance as “pretty bad,” citing some poor chipping and putting. She shot a 34 – her best ever at GGC – on the course last week.
“(In a three-day event,) today could have been my bad day,” she said.
Second place in the girls division went to Annie Cockerill, 16, who shot a 54.
Among the other winners was 7-year-old Ryan Slater, who won the boys 10-and-under age group with a 35 in six holes of play. Cameron Moeller took second in that division with a 46.
Ben Hartl’s 57 won the boys 11-13 division.
