CARMEL – The high school golf season came to an end Tuesday for all but one of the Balers boys golf team, as the squad finished in eighth place — out of 11 teams — in the first Central Coast Section Regional at Rancho Canada Golf Club in Carmel.
Sophomore Ryan Han was the lone Baler to advance past the first stage of the CCS golf tournament, carding a one-over 72.
As a team, San Benito finished with a score of 403 — good for eighth place. The top four teams advanced to the CCS finals next Wednesday at Rancho Canada.
The Balers finished 14 strokes outside the top four. RL Stevenson finished in first with a score of 345 — four of their six golfers finished par or better. Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory (377), St. Ignatius College Preparatory (386) and Archbishop Mitty (389) rounded out the top four teams.
Han, though, finished in a tie for seventh place and seven shots behind the leader Skyler Finnell of Stevenson.
“Ryan played very well,” San Benito head coach Reggie Synegal said. “As a team, we knew we had to shoot somewhere around 380 to move on. We didn’t do that, but the kids felt good. It was the luck of the draw.”
No. 2 golfer Aaron Smith also played well, carding a 78 and missing the cut by only three strokes. Smith started well on the front nine, but faded in the second half, Synegal said.
“They all played really well on the front nine,” Synegal said. “The kids were confident heading into the back nine, but we just couldn’t get it together on the back side. It just didn’t happen for us.”
John German fired an 82. Greg Moreno carded an 83. And Andrew Colton carded an 88 during the day. Tony Ramos also scored an 89.
Despite the season ending in the first round of the CCS playoffs, Synegal expects greater things in the upcoming years with Han, Smith and German returning.
“I just have to make sure they all get better over the summer,” Synegal said. “They are committed to being better golfers. My job is to make sure the summer makes us better.”
Han will tee off Wednesday at Rancho Canada. His tee time is still to be determined.
