San Diego is a golf hotbed. It has been for years. But in 2011 we've taken it to a new level, thanks to the golf teams at San Diego State University and the University of San Diego.
The Aztecs won their first Mountain West Conference Tournament championship, are ranked 7th in the nation, and earned a #2 seed in the NCAA Regional tournament in Tucson.
Head coach Ryan Donovan was named MWC coach of the year while juniors Alex Kang and J.J. Spaun both earned all-conference honors.
Kang and Spaun also made it through the first round of U.S. Open qualifying at Barona Creek on Monday and are 36 good holes of golf away from playing at Congressional on NBC in June.
The Toreros are ranked 23rd in the nation and are the #4 seed in the NCAA Regional tournament at The Farms Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe (USD is the host school). Junior Alex Ching is the 14th-ranked player in the country and won the West Coast Conference Player of the Year award.
Let's go ahead and add on the exploits of La Jolla Country Day high school senior Anthony Paolucci. In January he not only made the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, but finished the tournament 3-under par (one shot better than Tiger Woods). He also made it through the first round of U.S. Open qualifying, tying Spaun for the low round of the day at 3-under.
So, a quick message to the rest of the golf world:
Local
FORE!
You'd better watch out. San Diego is playing through.
