Prep golf: Sonnenberg, Montoya win individual metro titles

Apr. 24—At least a part of Clark Sonnenberg probably had to be wondering, how did I end up here?

The Albuquerque Academy junior, by his own admission, stumbled down the stretch Monday afternoon at the Albuquerque Metro Championships at Ladera Golf Course.

Missed a short putt at 16, he said.

Missed a short putt at 17, too.

Double bogeyed the 18th after his tee shot went into the water.

The sloppy finish forced Sonnenberg into a spot he probably didn't expect to be, locked in a playoff with La Cueva junior Kirin Hochenedel — a playoff Hochenedel could have won by sinking a 4-foot putt at the 10th, the first playoff hole.

The putt lipped out, the playoff continued.

Moments later, Sonnenberg birdied the par-5 11th, winning the 2023 event as Hochenedel missed from about 20 feet for his own matching birdie.

Junior Clark Sonnenberg of Albuquerque Academy (72) after winning metros Monday on the second hole of a playoff: pic.twitter.com/gXz709mUjo

— James Yodice (@JamesDYodice) April 24, 2023

"I was glad I got it ... to a playoff after not finishing strong," said Sonnenberg following his fifth victory of prep golf's wraparound season. "I had a second chance."

Sonnenberg and Hochenedel each shot even-par rounds of 72 at Ladera. For Sonnenberg, it was an up-and-down round, exemplified by his par-birdie-double bogey start. He carded six birdies, but there were enough loose holes to counter that.

He missed a 10-footer for birdie at No. 10, the first playoff hole, leaving the putt on the lip. But he was hole high at the 11th with his second shot, chipped it close and tapped in for what proved to be the tournament clinching birdie.

"It's pretty cool, pretty nice," he said of winning a metro title. "To win the metros? There's a lot of good players and teams."

The state tournament is in two weeks; Class 5A is at Twin Warriors Golf Club, while Sonnenberg and the 4A field are at neighboring Santa Ana Golf Club.

"Today was good to see what I need to work on," he said.

The girls were served by youth at the top.

St. Pius freshman Amara Montoya was the metro medalist, shooting a 3-over 75 to edge Academy eighth-grader Adelyn Haas.

In hindsight, Montoya said, a bogey at 18 proved perhaps most crucial to her victory, since she drove into the water. After a drop, her third shot went over the green, and she ended up knocking in a 15-foot bogey putt. Which ended up securing the biggest victory of her young prep career. She has five victories between the fall and spring seasons.

And even though she said she had winning as her target on Monday, that doesn't mean it wasn't surreal.

Here is St. Pius X freshman Amara Montoya (75) after winning the Albuquerque Metro Golf Championship on Monday at Ladera: pic.twitter.com/0zmk69hBy6

— James Yodice (@JamesDYodice) April 24, 2023

"I was like, 'Dang, this is crazy,'" Montoya said with a smile. "As a freshman. I didn't even play last year. I love it."

She lives in Belen — the same hometown as 4A's top player, defending state champion Rylee Salome. But Montoya said she wanted to play for coach Chris Moya at St. Pius.

"(He's) the best coach," Montoya said. "I felt I could be a better player if I came (to St. Pius)."

The team titles were both claimed by La Cueva, which has been a recurring theme for the Bears as both genders have been outstanding this spring.

On a good day for scoring, La Cueva's boys shot a round of 302, six strokes in front of Volcano Vista. St. Pius (312) placed third. The Bears had other top-10 showings from senior Joseph Garcia, who tied for third, one shot out of the playoff — as did Mateo Boucher of Albuquerque High — and senior Elias Rose (75), who finished in a three-way tie for sixth.

The veteran La Cueva girls squad shot 328, with senior Caytlin Petrova (79), senior Sarah Grenemyer (80) and junior Stephanie Romero (81) finishing fourth, fifth and sixth individually. Romero earned a rather unique distinction, since she was also a prominent member of La Cueva's metro championship winning tennis team just last weekend.

Academy (338) was 10 shots back, with St. Pius (343) in third place.

Albuquerque Metro Championships

Monday

Ladera Golf Course

BOYS

Team: La Cueva 302, Volcano Vista 308, St. Pius 312, Cleveland 320, Cibola 323, Albuquerque High 329, Rio Rancho 332, Albuquerque Academy 333, Eldorado 337, Sandia 343, Hope Christian 356, Valley 370, Manzano 492.

Individual

(x-won on 2nd playoff hole)

t1. x-Clark Sonnenberg, ABQ Acad 72

t1. Kirin Hochenedel, La Cueva 72

t3. Joseph Garcia, La Cueva 73

t3. Mateo Boucher, Albuq. High 73

5. Benjamin Jiron, Sandia 74

t6. Ben Hutchinson, Highland 75

t6. Elias Rose, La Cueva 75

t6. Landen Lovato, Cibola 75

9. Cade Freeze, St. Pius 76

t10. Cristian Montoya, St. Pius 77

t10. Isaac Cota, Volcano Vista 77

GIRLS

Team: La Cueva 328, Albuquerque Academy 338, St. Pius 343, Rio Rancho 403, Cibola 412, Manzano 416, Cleveland 419, Highland 499.

Individual

1. Amara Montoya, St. Pius 75

2. Adelyn Haas, ABQ Academy 76

3. Anya Parasher, ABQ Academy 78

4. Caytlin Petrova, La Cueva 79

5. Sarah Grenemyer, La Cueva 80

6. Stephanie Romero, La Cueva 81

7. Maddison Long, Volcano Vista 84

8. Lilliana McKinley, Cleveland 85

t9. Hallie Vigil, ABQ Academy 86

t9. Madison Armijo, St. Pius 86