Yucca Valley's Carlton stays steady, takes DVL boys' golf title for Trojans
The strategy for Yucca Valley’s Ben Carlton was simple Thursday at the Desert Valley League boys' golf finals: Don’t try to do too much.
“I just tried to hit fairways and give myself chances to make pars,” said Carlton, the Trojans’ 15-year-old freshman who won the DVL title at Westin Mission Hills Resort. “I went for bogeys. I didn’t try to go for pars or birdies. If a par dropped, a par dropped, and if I got lucky, a birdie might come.”
The strategy worked for Carlton, who finished with a 17-over 87 on the breezy par-70 Westin Mission Hills course Thursday. Combined with the 42 he shot in the preliminary nine holes, Carlson finished at 24-over 129 for 27 holes for a three-shot victory over teammate Jacob Warden.
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Carlton’s victory added to what has already been a strong year for the Trojans. Yucca Valley shared the regular-season title in the DVL with Coachella Valley but won that title in a team playoff Tuesday. The Trojans also earned two of the four berths into the CIF-Southern Section boys' individual preliminaries Monday in Murrieta and took four of the seven first-team all-DVL slots for the week.
Joining Carlton in the CIF-SS play will be freshman Warden, who shot 91 on Thursday for a 133 total, Ethan Guerrero of Twentynine Palms High School (45-94-138) and Tyler Luke of Twentynine Palms (46-98-144).
Rounding out the all-DVL team were Brandon Medina of Coachella Valley (45-100-145), freshman Gordon Kahn of Yucca Valley (52-100-152) and senior Zander Peck of Yucca Valley (53-102-155).
Steady play wins the title
Carlton and Warden began Thursday’s 18-hole round tied for first after opening 7-over 42s, two shots ahead of Guerrero. Playing the back nine first, Carlton managed another 42 with seven bogeys and two pars to take the lead by three shots over Warden, who shot 45 for the opening nine holes.
That allowed Carlton to stay steady on the back nine, producing a 45 on his final holes to a 46 for Warden.
“That was my strategy, just try and stay calm and not let anything get to me,” Carlton said.
Carlton said the gusting winds of the afternoon in Rancho Mirage did affect his club selections at times, but nothing that hurt his game.
Carlton and the other three CIF-SS qualifiers will compete at Bear Creek Golf Club in Murrieta on Monday in the individual preliminaries, hoping to earn a berth into the CIF-SS finals the following week.
“I don’t think I’m that good yet,” Carlton laughed when asked if he had aspirations for a CIF-SS individual title. “Hopefully in a couple of years, we will reach that title. Right now I am just trying to play what I know to do. If I play what I am capable of and still lose, I’ll be happy.”
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Yucca Valley's big year in high school golf continues as Carlton wins DVL title
