Menlo-Atherton’s Graham Martin coaxes the ball into the hole for a birdie on the 17th hole at Half Moon Bay Golf Links. Martin birdied the last four holes and had six on the day as he finished 5-under during the second round of the PAL championship, giving him a two-day total of 1-under 143 to claim the PAL individual title.
M-A’s Jamison Kriebel blasts out of a greenside bunker on the par-3 17th hole during the second day of the PAL golf championship at Half Moon Bay Golf Links.
San Mateo’s Elliott Dun tees off on the 18th hole of the Old Course at Half Moon Bay Golf Links.
With the sun setting on the Pacific Ocean and the faints tones of the Half Moon Bay Golf Links bagpiper’s bagpipes wafting through the property, Menlo-Atherton’s Graham Martin led the final foursome down the 18th fairway on the Old Course.
Whether it was meant or not, it was only appropriate the other three golfers in the group — Burlingame’s Brandon Castillo, San Mateo’s Elliott Dun and Aragon’s Ben Torrelio — hung back because they were witnessing a coronation.
Only a stroke ahead after a bogey on No. 13, Martin closed with a flourish as his nearest competitors faltered down the stretch. Martin hit his approach to the 18th green just to the left of the flag, pin high and drained a 10-foot birdie putt, to put the finishing touches on a 5-under 67, birdieing the final four holes to claim the Peninsula Athletic League individual championship with a two-day total of 1-under 143 Tuesday in Half Moon Bay.
“Every time I walked up to a putt, I felt like it was going down. I gave myself a lot of chances,” said Martin, a junior, who has verbally committed to the Naval Academy. “For me, the PAL championship was the goal.”
Martin replaces two-time winner Alejandro Formosa of Hillsdale, who graduated last spring.
Martin was head and shoulders the best golfer in the PAL this season and by consensus of PAL coaches, one of the best to come along in a while. Martin was under par in eight of 10 PAL matches, making him the overwhelming top seed heading into the PAL tournament.
“I definitely exceeded expectations,” Martin said.
Which made his 4-over 76 on Day 1 at Crystal Springs Golf Course in Burlingame Monday just a bit puzzling as he found himself trailing Castillo, Dun and Torrelio by a stroke going into Tuesday’s final round.
“I don’t think I played too bad (Monday),” Martin said. “It’s a game of inches.”
Dunn, who was 2-over at the turn Tuesday, found himself only a shot back following a par on No. 13 and Martin’s bogey. Torrelio was another shot back with a par at No. 13.
But Martin got some breathing room on the next hole as a double bogey from Dun was the start of a five-hole run that saw him finish 7-over.
Dun finished fifth overall with a two-day total of 12-over 156.
Torrelio was dropped following a triple bogey at No. 15 as he was 4-over the last four holes to finish in third overall with a 9-over 153.
And then Martin slammed the door with four straight bogeys, the final two punctuated with animated fist pumps on 17 and 18.
While Martin was dominating down the stretch, two others Bears finished strong, as well, with Luke Carmel, who was playing in the fifth of seven groups, finished Tuesday with a round of 2-over 74 and a two-day total of 7-over 153, good for second overall.
A third Bear, Jamison Kriebel, also came in with a top-five finish. His 6-over 78 gave him a two-day total of 12-over 156.
Those were important finishes as both Carmel and Kriebel will join Martin at the Central Coast Section qualifying tournament Tuesday, May 5, at Laguna Seca Golf Ranch in Monterey, with the CCS championship round the following Tuesday, May 12.
Both Carmel and Kriebel were two of the five at-large berths garnered at the PAL championship. The players for PAL regular-season champ Burlingame and CCS play-in winner Carlmont were already assured of CCS spots, so the next five players not on those teams qualified for CCS.
That means Carmel, Kriebel, Torrelio, Dun and Woodside’s Eli Harkov all punched their tickets to the CCS tournament.
“Three years ago, none of us made it (to CCS),” Martin said of he and his teammates. “We practice all the time together. We play off each other.”
Martin ended his first round at Crystal Springs Golf Course with a birdie and maintained that momentum to start Tuesday, with a birdie on the first hole at Half Moon Bay Golf Links. He followed that with a birdie on No. 4 and made the turn at 2-under.
“I just focused on being consistent,” Martin said. “I tried to be aggressive — while still being patient.”
Top 10 finishers: 1st, Graham Martin (M-A) 1-under 143; 2nd, Luke Carmel (M-A) 7-over 153; 3rd, Ben Torrelio (Aragon) 7-over 153; 4th, Jamison Kriebel (M-A) 12-over 156; 5th, Elliott Dun (San Mateo) 12-over 156; 6th, Eli Harkov (Woodside) 13-over 157; 7th, Jack Albanese (Woodside) 14-over 158; 8th, Ethan Cyb (Burlingame) 15-over 159; 9th, Martin Chen (Carlmont) 16-over 160; 10th, Keegan Marlatt (Carlmont) 17-over 161.
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