Torch passed for Yuba City golf

In Kent Myers' 24 years of coaching golf, no one tops Yuba City High's Justin Estrada.

As a leader, a three-time league MVP and now a two-time Appeal-Democrat Golfer of the Year, Estrada has cemented his name in the local golfing arena.

"I think Justin (Estrada) is the best high school golfer to come out of this area," Myers said. "He has an outstanding reputation. Coaches all around the Sac-Joaquin Section know and respect him."

While 2009 didn't exactly close out like the senior and his coach were expecting, he still managed to put up stellar numbers throughout the regular season.

He medaled 11 times, averaged a 36 for nine holes and a 75 for 18 holes and led the Honkers to their third straight league title and second consecutive Sac-Joaquin Section Division III title.

In the mind of Myers, it's Estrada's leadership that separates him from the field.

"The team expects Justin to turn in low scores — and that's a lot of pressure to have on you, but he handles it so well," Myers said. "We're going to sorely miss him."

But before Estrada leaves town to attend San Jose State, where he received a full-ride golf scholarship, a torch will be passed. Or it already was.

Standout Taylor Brown has made his mark as one of the top golfers in the Mid-Valley — as a sophomore — and already expectations are high.

"The team is going to depend on Taylor now. It's his turn," Myers said. "He has talent and natural ability."

Without a practice round, a walk-through of the course and with a nagging injury, Brown surprised the field at the section masters at The Reserve course in Stockton and took sixth for a medal.

"For a sophomore to go into the masters of the section in that situation and finish sixth place — that's pretty remarkable," Myers said of Brown.

He wasn't the only one to impress at the masters.

Faith Christian's Nick Maddalena once again shined as one of the top golfers in the area.

The junior was MVP of his league and medaled in every match but one and recorded two rounds of 32.

Also having an outstanding season was the Sutter golf program.

Two golfers led the Huskies to the Northern Section championships and finished as what coach Bruce Troxel calls "the best Sutter High golf team in school history."

Dayton Pierce led the way in the postseason, while Kevin Pauls made his name off the regular season.

Pierce, just a sophomore, averaged a score of 75.8 in Butte View League play, shot a 72 in the section championships and won a three-hole playoff to earn the individual ranking of No. 4 in the section.

Pierce was also one of just two golfers from the Mid-Valley to qualify for the NorCals, where he shot a 77.

Pauls, a junior, was ranked No. 1 in the BVL and earned team MVP.

No one impressed more down the stretch of the season than Pierce High's Ben Geyer.

As one of the top golfer's in the Northern Section, Geyer went on to the NorCals and just missed out on advancing, but shot a 74 at Butte Creek Golf Course to close out his senior year.

Last, but certainly not least, is Jessee Gardner — the one-man golf team at East Nicolaus.

Gardner bested the competition and won himself — and the Spartans — a Mid-Valley League title with a 73 and a Division III Northern Section title with a 76 at Plumas Pines Resort.