Anzar's Nick Tanouye didn't finish his season Tuesday at the Central Coast Section Regionals in Carmel Valley the way he wanted to. But being the first golfer in school history to simply qualify to the year-end tournament is a pretty reasonable consolation prize.
Tanouye carded a 102 at the Rancho Canada Golf Club in Carmel Valley, where approximately 83 golfers tried their hand on the sometimes narrow, par-71 West Course. Although a slight misting rain fell early in the morning on Tuesday - Tanouye teed off at 8:16 a.m. - the Anzar golfer didn't feel like it was much of a factor.
"I'd say it played pretty easy, if I played my shots well," Tanouye said. "But I just couldn't get them to come down.
"I'm pretty disappointed with the score that I posted."
During a practice round last Saturday, Tanouye said he shot an 85 at the West Course, but nerves and, well, the game of golf factored into his rough round.
"Some of it was nerves, competing in a tournament like CCS," he said. "But I just couldn't get a feel for it and get solid shots.
"I couldn't get a feel for my swing. It just wasn't right."
Only the top four teams qualified to next week's CCS Championships, as well as the top eight individuals not on those qualifying teams. After St. Francis (371), Menlo-Atherton (379), Palo Alto (385) and Carmel (390) took the top spots, the individual cut was set at 75.
St. Francis' Noah Sheikh medaled the round with a 68.
Playing with some of the best the CCS has to offer, though, nerves perhaps played a role in Tanouye's high score, said Anzar coach Eric Lopez, who marshaled the 12th hole on Tuesday.
"He definitely has the game to shoot a good round when he's out there," Lopez said. "He had some breakthrough scores this year."
Lopez noted Tanouye's 40 at Laguna Seca, as well as his 42 at San Juan Oaks earlier this season.
But starting at No. 10 on the West Course Tuesday, Tanouye shot par to open his round, then struggled the remaining eight holes before recording a 57 on the back nine. The junior golfer did begin to slowly put his game together on the front nine, he said, where he carded a 45 to finish his day.
"The putting was great," said Tanouye, who felt the greens weren't bad but weren't great, either. "If I could have got on to the green within regulation, I could have shot some birdies and reached the 85 or lower."
It was just getting to the green that seemed to be a problem for Tanouye. Of course, simply getting to the CCS Regionals was a whole different matter.
Tanouye's round last Thursday at the Mission Trail Athletic League Finals qualified him as one of three individuals toward Tuesday's CCS Regional. Recording an 87 at the Quail Lodge Resort and Golf Club in Carmel Valley, Tanouye became the first golfer ever at Anzar High to advance past the league championships.
"My friend Tim Trefts, I'm pretty happy I beat him," said Tanouye, noting the friendly rivalry with his teammate Trefts, who along with Colby Castro, shot a 91 at the MTAL Finals last week. "I thought he was gonna get it and I wasn't."
"That was huge," Lopez said. "I'm really proud of him, to hang in there at league finals and get in. He knew he was gonna have to shoot an 87, and he did."
Improving each season at the MTAL Finals - from a 102 to a 92 to an 87 - Tanouye will look to improve his senior year as well with teammate and friend Tim Trefts, perhaps becoming the first golfer at Anzar High to qualify in consecutive seasons.
And, of course, he'll be looking to improve upon his score at CCS Regionals.
"I think I can do it again," he said. "I'm going to try and get back to CCS and hopefully do better.
"Hopefully I can continue to come down and knock off a few strokes."
Andrew Matheson Andrew Matheson is a sports writer for South Valley Newspapers. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 334 or at amatheson@svnewspapers.com.
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