Golf loses by slim margin

Chase WohrleStaff WriterThe team’s final match against Palos Verdes resulted in an upset. After an afternoon of heated competition, the boys had lost the game, by a single stroke.“When you lose a match like that by one shot,” coach Bart Burdick said. “It’s tough to swallow.”Even though the loss against Palos Verdes damaged the team’s record, they were still able to compete for a spot in post-season league play. However, when the boys tied for the third spot with North Torrance. Because of the tie, Samo would have to beat North Torrance in the individuals match to qualify for further play, specifically the first nine holes.“We all played well as a whole, ” junior captain Danny Thomas said. “Just on the first nine holes, we got really close to beating them, but that’s pretty much it.”With that loss, dreams of the team’s participation in the playoffs were denied.“It’s a good thing, sometimes you have to taste that defeat to give you a little bit more drive,” Burdick said. “[Then you can] come back a little bit  more dedicated.”Despite the lack of post-season success from the team overall, senior James Tucker placed third in the Ocean League individuals while having the second lowest scoring average throughout the course of the season. Disregarding the fact that he made the first all-league team, his score of 84 during individuals was not enough to make the requirement of 79 to continue deeper into CIF play. Tucker is the only senior on the team, allowing almost no loss of personnel for next year’s squad.“James had an outstanding year,” Burdick said.Regarding next season, captain Thomas hopes to maintain the record held by the team earlier in their season.“We need to bring it next year, like we did in the first four games [where we went undefeated],” he said.