Charlie Reiter wins 2016 CIF/SCGA SoCal Regional

For the sixth straight year Brookside GC hosted the CIF/SCGA Southern California Regional Championship, as the Pasadena golf course was buzzing with anxious players, players, coaches, family and friends early Thursday morning. An 8 a.m. shotgun start that saw 124 junior boy golfers take the course ended with three teams and nine other individual players advancing on to the State High School Championship, which will be held June 1 at San Gabriel CC.

Winning the team portion of the event for the second time in three years was Westlake High School, which dominated from start to finish, including having two golfers finish in the top 6 on the individual leaderboard. Led by Matthew Wolff's score of 4-under-par 68, Westlake had a total team score of 6-over par 366. That bested second place, as well as defending champs, Torrey Pines by four strokes, and third place Wilson by 6.

But turning in the best round of the day was Palm Desert High School Sophomore Charlie Reiter, who torched the No. 1 course at Brookside with a 5-under-par 67, matching last year's winning score. Reiter, who began the round on hole No. 8, got his round off to a good start with an eagle on Hole 11. He would fall into a great stretch of golf on Hole 15, recording three straight birdies to pass early leader Wolff, who was sitting at 4-under par. Reiter would play the from nine in even par. With the win, Reiter adds his name to trophy that boasts names such as Tiger Woods, Rickie Fowler, Phil Mickelson and Craig Stadler.

"It's really, really cool to be added to a list like that," said Reiter. "I especially like Rickie Fowler, so I'm pretty excited about this."

Reiter beat out Wolff as well as Jericho Betts by a stroke to earn the individual title.

THE TOP NINE INDIVIDUALS IN THE FIELD NOT ON THE TOP-THREE QUALIFYING TEAMS EARNED SPOTS IN NEXT WEEK'S CIF/CGA CALIFORNIA HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD. THOSE ADVANCING TO SAN GABRIEL CC ARE:

Charlie Reiter, Palm Desert

Jericho Betts, Poly

Hunter Newlin, Temescal Canyon

Hidetoshi Yoshihara, Woodbridge

Matthew Moomjian, Patrick Henry

Zihao Jin, Rancho Bernardo

Alrik Pan, Walnut

Ray Yang, Palisades

TEAMS ADVANCING TO SAN GABRIEL CC ARE:

Westlake Warriors

Torrey Pines Falcons

Wilson Bruins