By Jesse Muñoz/COC Sports Information Director

VENTURA — Hugo Amsallem put together back-to-back under-par rounds of 68 and 69 to finish first in the individual standings and lead College of the Canyons to a third-place result, just one stroke back of the event champions, during the California Community College Athletic Association Southern California Regional Championship at Olivas Links Golf Course on Monday.

Amsallem’s combined total of 137 (68/69) easily topped the field of more than 70 golfers from 14 schools. His performance at the regional championship comes on the heels of Amsallem finishing tied for runner-up at the Western State Conference championships earlier this month.

Nick Burns of Ventura College was the regional championship runner-up at 140 (67/73) followed by Bryan Urip (142-73/69) in third place.

Cypress College won the Regional Championship with a five-man. 36-hole score of 733 (365/368) but had to go to a card-off vs. runner-up Saddleback College (733 -362/371). Cypress took the title by virtue of its sixth man’s scorecard, which was lower than that off Saddleback’s.

Canyons (734-363/371) was third despite finishing just one stroke behind both teams. Ventura College (742-367/375) was fourth to claim the southern region’s final state championship berth.

COC freshman Jordan Allaire was second on the team and 20th overall with a score of 149 (75/74).

Magnus Hansen shot an even par 72 in the morning round to eventually finish at 151 (72/79). Leo Cheng turned in a similar result (151-73/78) and Kieran Bye (152-75/77) rounded out the Cougars’ top-five.

Playing in the No. 6 spot, Paul Hautbourg shot an 83 in the morning round and Dom De Luca turned in a round of 73 in the afternoon. That combined result (156-83/73) was scratched from the final total.

Canyons will now prepare for the California Community College Athletic Association State Championships being held at Soboba Springs Golf Club in San Jacinto on May 16. The Cougars will be competing at the state tourney for a 25th time in program history.

COC has won claimed nine state championships in men’s golf program history with the most recent coming in 2019. The California Community College Athletic Association did not host a state championship in 2020 or 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Team Scores
1. Cypress (733* — 365/368) 2. Saddleback (733 — 362/371) 3. Canyons (734 —363/371) 4. Ventura (742 — 367/375) 5. Desert (746 — 376/370) 6. Orange Coast (765 —380/385) 7. Mt. SAC (774 —382/392) 8. Glendale (776 — 391/385) T9. Riverside City (778—393/385) T9. Citrus (778—387/391)

Canyons Individual Scores Final
Hugo Amsallem (137 – 68/69); Jordan Allaire (149 – 75/74); Magnus Hansen (151 – 72/79); Leo Cheng (151 – 73/78); Kieran Bye (152 – 75/77); Paul Hautbourg (83 – Rnd1); Dom De Luca (73 – Rnd 2).

Field Individual Standings (TOP-20)

1st — 137 — HUGO AMSALLEM (COC) 68/69

2nd — 140 — NICK BURNS (VC) 67/73

3rd — 142 —BRYAN URIP (CYP) 73/69

4th — 143 — STEEN ZEMAN (VC) 74/69; DENIS WATSON (SADDLE) 73/70

6th — 144 — JOHN DEARTH (CIT) 69/75

7th — 146 — ADAM NAAMAN (CYP) 73/73; ZACHARY STOUT (SADDLE) 74/72

9th — 146 — ETHAN THOMAS (MT. SAC) 75/71

10th — 147 —JEREMY KALLMAN (COD) 71/76; OCTAVIO ROMERO (BAK) 76/71; RYAN GAY (SBCC) 77/70

13th — 148 — EDUARDO ESPINOSA (CUYA) 74/74; TYLER WATSON (COD) 75/73; GABE MARMON (SBCC) 76/72; DEVIN SCHAFFER (CYP) 76/72

17th — 149 — ARTHUR HESS (SADDLE) 67/82; PATRICK JAKSCH (SADDLE) 71/78; WILLIS PANZARELLO (CYP) 73/76; JORDAN ALLAIRE (COC) 75/74

Stay up to date on all this season’s action by following the College of the Canyons Athletic department on social media at @COCathletics on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.