Sanford leads Dons to first league win

   Four Santa Ana golfers shot their lowest rounds of the season including Jimmy Sanford’s 1-over par 73 that earned the Dons their first Orange Empire Conference victory of the year.
   Santa Ana’s combined 377 strokes was good enough to beat Cuyamaca College but they fell short in matches with Orange Coast College and Palomar College at the meet hosted at Los Serranos Country Club April 7.
   It was the first win in 12 conference matches for the Dons.
   “I was stoked for the guys, I have been working them hard in practices all year,” Head Golf Coach Dick Gorie said.
   Besides Sanford’s 73, three other Dons turned in their best rounds of the year.
   Freshman Jimmy Kim improved his lowest round by four strokes finishing with a 75, while sophomore Derek Jones and freshman Taylor Burkhart each finished with rounds of 76.
   Despite earning the victory, a few Dons came off the 18th green thinking about the shots they missed on the 6,430-yard par 72 course.
   “I’m not disappointed with the score but with how it came about,” sophomore Brett Sterbens said about not being able to finish the back nine strong. 
   Sterbens was 1-under through 12 holes but played bogey golf over his final six holes giving him a round of 77.
   Jones was equally disappointed as inconsistent putting led to his 76. “I had five 3-putts. That’s terrible,” he said.
   Jones however has now shot four consecutive rounds in the 70s, tying him with Sterbens for the team lead in stroke average at 79.
   Burkhart, who was 2-under-par through 17 holes, double bogied the 18th to finish with a round of 76.
   The best score of the day, a 1-under-par 70, was fired by Palomar freshman Sejun Yoon, who leads the conference in stroke average.
   Yoon was joined as a medalist by teammate Scott Wyers and OCC’s Ryan Knepp who each shot a 71.
   Both teams defeated Santa Ana in its final home match of the season dropping the Dons to 1-13.
   “This level of golf is much different than our players were used to,” Gorrie said about Palomar and OCC’s play.
   Palomar had the match low 368 combined strokes followed by OCC’s 370.
   Sterbens, a former baseball player at Mater Dei High School, agreed.
   “I’d say we are disappointed as a team, but the competition was just ahead of us,” said Sterbens, “but I’ve seen myself improve and get better this year.”
   Though the team ends its season against Santiago Canyon College today at El Prado Golf Course, both Jones and Sterbens still have a chance to qualify for post-season play.
   The conference championship, also held at Los Serranos, begins May 3.  
   Championship play is made up of the top five conference teams as well as the top six individual golfers from other OEC schools.