Palihi Golf Team Allowed to Compete for City Title

Several weeks ago, the Palisades High boys golf team was ruled ineligible to participate in the City Section Championships because it had violated a rule by playing 18-hole matches instead of nine-hole matches three times in 6A League competition.

Chatsworth, El Camino Real, Taft and Granada Hills were also punished because those schools also had played 18-hole matches. Due to a few rainouts, the sixth team in the league, Van Nuys, did not end up playing any 18-hole matches.

However, the City rules committee reversed its decision earlier this week, allowing Granada Hills and Palisades to contend for the team title Monday along with six other teams: Venice, Van Nuys, Cleveland, Kennedy, North Hollywood and Narbonne. Defending champion El Camino Real, Chatsworth and Taft failed to qualify.

The committee will also review whether or not the infractions committed by the five 6A teams were severe enough to warrant probation, which would likely mean taking away matches and/or practices next spring.  

Longtime Palihi Coach James Paleno said that if the probation is upheld he would appeal it. "The indication is that we intentionally violated the rules and that is not the case," Paleno stated. "I've never been on probation in my 20 years of coaching and even the documentation provided to us states that in order to qualify 'teams must consistently shoot 430 for 18 holes.' And, if we're only supposed to play nine holes then why would they approve a schedule that has us starting at 1:30 p.m.?"

The 6A League, traditionally the strongest of the six City leagues, has typically played nine holes for the first two weeks of the season, then switched to 18 holes with the extra hour for Daylight Saving Time. "To insinuate that we did it to gain any sort of advantage over other teams is ludicrous," Paleno said. "If they keep us on probation, that's a battle for another day, but I definitely will protest it."

The 6A League Finals were Wednesday at Griffith Park's Wilson Course, the same course on which Monday's City finals will be played. Granada Hills shot 410 to win by two strokes over regular-season champion Van Nuys and Palisades was third at 420. 

Due to budget cuts, the City Championships this year have been reduced from two 18-hole rounds, played over two days on two different courses, to just one 18-hole round. That means players who shoot poorly the first day have no opportunity to play themselves back into contention.

"We played a practice round at Wilson on Monday and shot 396," Paleno said. "In the [league finals] we turned right around and shot 420. We're just not consistent."

Six players are allowed to play for each team and the five lowest scores are counted. The team with the lowest score wins. The top two City teams and Top 12 individuals qualify for the following week's Southern California Regionals, which will be played May 31 at Brookside Golf Course in Pasadena. 

"We're capable of 400 or below," Paleno said. "That would mean five guys shooting 80 or better. Can we do that? Yes, but some guys are going to have to shoot below their average."

Asked who the favorite is, Paleno named Venice, which won the team title two years ago, but he said the one-day format could breed an upset: "Any of these teams can pull off one hot round and win it on any given day. I hope for us it's Monday."

Palisades is led by sophomore Kornelius Baliukonis, who carded a 1-under par at Rancho Park this season. He consistently scores in the 73 to 75 range and Paleno describes him as a "serious golfer" who wants to play at UCLA. He was fourth at league finals.

Harvard-bound senior Jared Rosen has been shooting between four and 10 shots over par this season but is capable of going lower and has played in the City finals twice before. For the Dolphins to have a chance he'll need to score better than his 99 on Wilson in the final round of last year's City tournament. Rosen was ninth at league finals.

Junior Travis Traweek was a left-handed pitcher for the Dolphins' baseball team before suffering nerve damage in his shoulder and deciding to try his luck at golf this season. He shot a 77 in a practice round at Griffith Park and was 12th at league finals.

Junior Sawyer Pascoe usually shoots in the high 70s to mid 80s. Paleno said he "works really hard on his game" and is "really passionate about the sport." His low round this year was 74 at a Los Angeles City junior event at Balboa Golf Course in Encino.

Sophomore Dylan Wenker has shot 75 and 76 "a few times" and is a member at MountainGate Country Club. 

Rounding out Palisades' team are junior Jack Seltzer, who Paleno called "the glue guy that keeps everyone laughing and upbeat," and senior Shane Ciacci, who was the No. 2 player all year until he jammed his right index finger, requiring a splint that rendered him unable to grip a club at league finals.

The Dolphins won their last team championship in 2005 and Ed Turner was the last Palisades player to win the individual title in 1999.

The first group tees off at 9 a.m. sharp Monday for the City Championships at Wilson Golf Course in Griffith Park.