Rivals compete together

MURRIETA — Two golfers. Two coaches. Two rival high schools.

The golfers and their coaches, representing Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar, drove together in the same vehicle for a new boys’ golf experience for each party involved.

The four made the 140-mile round trip from Newport Beach to their first CIF Southern California Golf Assn. Regional Championship in Murrieta on back-to-back days. The excitement never wore off.

Lightning and hail ended Wednesday’s trip early. They returned Thursday. Far better conditions, more ideal for golf.

The four won’t have drive together again this school year.

Newport Harbor’s Travis Russell and Corona del Mar’s Mike Moorhead failed to qualify to the state tournament, ending their impressive postseason runs.

Russell shot a one-under-par 71 and Moorhead carded a 74 at the SCGA Members Golf Course. Their respective coaches applauded their efforts.

Russell is the first golfer in Scott Tarnow’s nine years at Newport Harbor to advance to this stage.

Moorhead is also the first golfer in Mike Starkweather’s 12 years at CdM to go this far.

For Russell, he was just happy for the opportunity to compete in the postseason. He made the most of his final opportunity as a junior, with two birdies Thursday, never bogeying the 13 holes he played.

As for Moorhead, he’s a freshman. And he played as composed as any newcomer possibly can. He even eagled No. 8, a par five.

Hurting each players chance to be one of the six individuals moving on to state next week at Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach was their putting. Russell failed to sink some birdies, while Moorhead failed on his for par.

Kevin Dougherty of Vista Murrieta won the event after beating Clovis West’s Michael Weaver in a sudden-death playoff. The two were tied atop after recording six-under-par 66 scores.

Carlsbad La Costa Canyon claimed the team title.

“It was awesome, no matter how it ended,� Russell said.

Russell thought his season was over on May 7. He missed the cut for one of the CIF Southern Section individual tournaments as he finished sixth at the Sunset League championship. The top five qualify.

“All of this is just extra,� Russell said.

“[I] did not expect to be here. From the very start I got in [because of] a guy opting out of a tournament.�

That guy is Los Alamitos’ John Lee, the Sunset League champion. Tarnow said Lee skipped the CIF experience for a shot to qualify for the U.S. Open.

“I don’t know why that kid did that,� Tarnow said. “Why would you do that? I don’t get it.�

Tarnow can just thank Lee for giving Russell the opportunity to continue his season.

Russell took advantage of it. Tarnow went along for the ride, watching Russell finish tied for fifth with a two-over-par 73 at the CIF Southern Section Individual Championship last week.

The week before, Russell shot a one-over-par 73 at a section regional at Hacienda Golf Club in La Habra Heights.

“So much fun to watch him play out there and he battled all the way through, didn’t get upset, handled it well,� Tarnow said. “All of his shots were aggressive. I didn’t see him being tentative out there. He was going for everything.�

As the four headed home Thursday, it was someone else’s turn to drive. Starkweather has been doing much of the driving lately.

Before play resumed Thursday after lightning and hail cut action short the day before, Starkweather told Tarnow, “You’re driving back today.�

“It was fun,� Tarnow said of driving to Murrieta with Newport Harbor’s Back Bay rival, which in mid-April the Sailors beat for the third straight year. “We have a good relationship with Corona del Mar. We have a good and competitive rivalry. We get along well.�

You sort of have to get along after being stuck in a vehicle for six hours the past two days.