Making the Rounds: Granite Bay boys advance to state championship

The boys golf team at Granite Bay High School had some unfinished business this year after “laying a big fat egg,” as described by coach Tim Healy, at the end of last season.

The Grizzlies responded Monday with a 1-over-par 361 at Corral de Tierra to advance to the state championship June 3 at Poppy Hills.

Bryan Baumgarten (2-under 70), Riley Sullivan (71), Jeffrey Inouye-Wong (72), Mason Troike (73), Drake Mendenhall (75) and Ryder Sanders (78) led Granite Bay to second place at the NCGA/CIF Boys NorCal Championship, four strokes behind Bellarmine of San Jose. Foothill of Pleasanton (375) was the third team to advance.

“It was a hell of an effort,” said Healy, “on a course we hadn’t played before and pretty much from the tips. You just don’t see a group like this very often.”

Granite Bay won the state title in 2012, only the second area team to accomplish the feat. The Grizzlies were on track for a state berth last year before inexplicably falling apart at the NorCals at Sierra View, their home course. That result made this one all the sweeter.

Baumgarten has been on a tear. Earlier this year, he was a semifinalist in the San Francisco City, and he was third over the weekend in the Golfweek West Coast Junior in Arizona before flying to Salinas and losing a playoff for the medalist honor.

Inouye-Wong and Troike are the team’s senior captains and emotional rocks, Healy said. Inouye-Wong, who qualified last year as an individual, will make his third trip to state and play for Saint Mary’s College next year.

“Jeffrey is amazing at conveying a team concept,” Healy said.

Jesuit, led by 75s from David Laskin and Max Menconi, finished sixth in the 12-team field with a 382.

U.S. Senior Open update

▪ Miguel Angel Jimenez, Kenny Perry, Jesper Parnevik and Fred Couples are among the players who have committed to play in the U.S. Senior Open from June 25-28 at Del Paso. The deadline to enter was May 6. Davis Love did not enter.

▪ Senior Open qualifying begins Tuesday at Green Valley, where the top three in a field of 90 will earn spots at Del Paso. There is a qualifier at Olympic Club on June 1.

▪ Volunteers are needed in support of The First Tee of Greater Sacramento, which will receive a portion of Senior Open concession proceeds in exchange for providing volunteers. Volunteers receive a ticket to the grounds on the day of their shift(s) and lunch. Sign up at www.thefirstteesacramento.org.

Et cetera

▪ Jennifer Coleman, a professional from Rolling Hills Estates, and Beth Lillie, a high school sophomore from Fullerton, earned spots in the U.S. Women’s Open during sectional qualifying Monday at Serrano. Coleman was the medalist with a 36-hole total of 5-under-par 139. Lillie was second at 141. Folsom’s Emilee Hoffman was the low local, tying for fourth at 145.

▪ Advancing from U.S. Open local qualifying: Gold River’s John Catlin and Woodland’s Dillon Dougherty. A slew of area players will tee it up at Silverado on Wednesday and Granite Bay on Thursday as local qualifying continues.

▪ Sacramento’s Kevin Sutherland jumped from 19th to second in Charles Schwab Cup points with his runner-up finish last week in the Champions Tour Regions Tradition.

▪ Ben Geyer’s tie for 48th in last week’s Web.com Tour’s BMW Charity Pro-Am represented the Arbuckle resident’s first made cut in nine events and was worth $1,930.

▪ UC Davis begins play Friday in the NCAA Division I Women’s Championship in Bradenton, Fla. The Aggies finished third of 18 in their regional, with Blair Lewis tied for fifth individually and Folsom’s Paige Lee tied for 14th. Virginia, led by Folsom’s Briana Mao, will be among the 24 teams. Mao, a senior, finished second in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.

▪ Ben Corfee and Scott Raber, both of Davis, won the Northern California Four-Ball Championship at Spyglass Hill.

▪ Carmichael’s Stephen Griggs won the Stockton City Championship at Swenson Park and Van Buskirk.

▪ Rocklin’s Lynne Cowan won the California Senior Women’s Amateur Championship by seven shots at Poppy Hills.

This story was originally published May 19, 2015 at 6:00 PM with the headline "Making the Rounds: Granite Bay boys advance to state championship."