Claremont boys golf loses league opener by one stroke

Claremont High School boys golf lost by a heartbreaking single stroke, 206-207, in their Palomares League opening match on Wednesday at Marshall Canyon Golf Course.

Claremont put in five solid performances led by senior Corbin Steinert, who shot a three over par 38. Junior Andrew Hamill and senior Ethan Moreno each shot a 41, freshman Connor Reis shot a 42 and senior Matt Lach, 46. Junior Wyatt Iles, who had been sick all week, tried to play through the illness but had to abandon.

The loss comes one day after Claremont won a non-league match, 228-249, against Alta Loma, also at Marshall Canyon.

“It’s a tricky course, or tricky greens I should say,” Coach Terrance Lynch said about the links at Marshall, which is Claremont’s home course. Coach Lynch has led the boys team for six years following decades as a football coach.

Coach Lynch said that he has a solid eight boys who can be competitive at the varsity level, including three seniors, three juniors, a sophomore and a freshman. He predicts that league should be very competitive, with Diamond Bar likely to win again. The Brahmas have been state champions several times, however, this is the last season that they will be in the Palomares League.

Glendora, Ayala and Bonita are all strong this year, according to Coach Lynch, but so is the Pack.

Claremont hasn’t qualified for the playoffs in four seasons, but this could be the year all that changes. “This is a better team than the one in 2014 when we finished in second place,” Coach Lynch said. “They compete very tough and I look forward to being in the playoffs.”

Claremont’s top two seeded golfers did not play last year. Steinert played three years of baseball, and Reis, of course, is a freshman. Reis shot a 34, one under par, during practice last week, which is the first time in Coach Lynch’s tenure that a golfer had beaten par at Marshall.

“Corbin is the most relaxed golfer I have ever seen. He will be talking about last night’s Lakers game and then blast the ball 280 yards,” Coach Lynch said

Coach Lynch never worries about eligibility, with an average 3.5 GPA for the team, and Lach has twice had the top grades in the entire league.

During the Alta Loma match it was a beautiful, cloudless March day, 75 degrees, and the two teams really seemed to be enjoying the game. The camaraderie is something that goes with golf, as the coaches offered tips and encouragement to the players regardless of which team they were on.

“I spent 22 years in varsity football but if I had known how much fun golf was I would have done it all along,” Coach Lynch said.

The Pack split a series with rival Damien last week and their record stands at 2-2. The boys had a rematch against Glendora on Thursday at Glendora Country Club after press time.

—Steven Felschundneff

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