Local high school golfers kept the grounds crew at Turlock Golf and Country Club busy over the past week with a slew of events including critical Central California Athletic League matches and one of the most popular annual tournaments in the region.
There was no busier day than Monday as over 100 golfers from 20 area high schools came together for the 10th annual Crosstown Cup, where each program combines the scramble scores of its two threesomes. The event receives the support of the Arrowhead Club, which provides grilled hamburgers for the student-athletes and coaches every year.
Turlock High fell just short of defending its team title for the fifth straight time since the cancelled pandemic season, placing sixth with a collective score of 3-under par 72. This year’s champion, rather, was Oakdale, with a low-score of 11-under par.
Ezekiel Roque, Carter Van Gaalen and Donaven Zendejas tied with Oakdale’s top grouping with scores of 9-under. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs’ second grouping of Thomas Manotok, Aiden Reed and Carter Waterson finished 6-over.
Of the local teams in the Journal coverage area, the Pitman High program, made up of Davis Cornell, Stephen Schmidt, Noah Hobbs, Alex Weiseman, Aiden Jeans and Brody Newton posted the second-best score of 2-over par.
Trans-Valley League programs Hilmar and Hughson finished 10-over and 18-over, respectively.
Turlock entered the week coming off a big 400-440 win over Gregori. Roque and Van Gaalen had strong showings against the Jaguars by each breaking 80 with rounds of 73 and 76, respectively. Logan Bream followed closely with an 82, while Zendejas was two strokes back and Easton Kahler wrapped up the scoring with an 85.
Following the Crosstown Cup, the Bulldogs and Pride met again at TGCC on Wednesday for the continuation of CCAL play, as well as Pitman’s senior day in which Cornell, Schmidt and Hobbs played their last official rounds as high schoolers at their home course.
Wednesday’s round, though, was dominated by Van Gaalen, who led the way in a 386-421 victory with a 68, his best round of the season. Just two strokes away from advancing to the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters a year ago, the sophomore drained birdie putts on holes No. 9, 13, 15 and 16.
Also under par was Roque with his round of 71. Behind him was Bream with a 75, Manotok’s 85 and Kahler’s 87.
Weiseman posted the Pride’s lowest score of 78. He was followed by Cornell’s 82, Schmidt’s 85 and matching rounds of 88 from Jeans and Newton.
Both teams will be back in action Monday at the Oakdale Invitational from the Oakdale Country Club, then have a quick turnaround for Tuesday’s CCAL Midseason Tournament from The Reserve at Spanos Park in Stockton.
