PEBBLE BEACH – It was a significant showcase that nearly didn’t materialize for Jaden Soong, but the St. Francis High freshman standout took full advantage of the opportunity to shine on the biggest stage in California high school golf.
It was a memorable moment for Stevenson School, which benefited from a familiar environment to deliver one of the most meaningful performances in the history of the CIF State Championships.
And their combined efforts Tuesday resulted in one of the most remarkable 18-hole rounds produced in more than two decades of the boys golf state final being held at Poppy Hills Golf Course.
Soong, a 15-year-old freshman, achieved the lowest score ever recorded on any course in boys state championship history with a 9-under 62 on the 6,558-yard layout, including back-to-back birdies on the 17th and 18th holes to secure a two-stroke victory over Torrey Pines sophomore Evan Liu.
St. Francis freshman Jaden Soong achieved the lowest score in state boys golf finals history with a 9-under 62 at Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach | Erik Boal photo
Stevenson used a fourth-place finish at last year’s state final at San Gabriel Country Club as motivation throughout the season, and gave local spectators and loyal supporters plenty to cheer about on their home course with a team total of 2-under 353 to capture the program’s first championship since 2013 at Quail Lodge Golf Club in Carmel.
Santa Margarita and Concord De La Salle tied for second at 362, with the Eagles benefiting from a sixth-golfer tiebreaker to earn the runner-up trophy and the best finish in program history.
Santa Margarita shot 362 and prevailed on a sixth-golfer tiebreaker with Concord De La Salle to secure second place at the CIF state boys golf final | Erik Boal photo
Concord De La Salle, which prevailed in 2023 at Poppy Hills with a state finals record 346, was pursuing its fourth championship, including the third in the past four seasons.
La Serna finished fourth at 364, Palo Alto placed fifth with a 367 and reigning state champion Torrey Pines was sixth at 381.
Luke Brandler, Steven Lai, Calvin Etcheverry and Johshveer Chadha all returned from last year’s state finals lineup for Stevenson, which was unable to build off the momentum of winning the CIF/NCGA Northern California Regional Championship and finished 14 strokes behind Torrey Pines.
Brandler shot 4-under 67, including three birdies and an eagle on the par-5 ninth hole, to tie for fourth place Tuesday to lead Stevenson.
Lai carded a 2-under 69, achieving five birdies in the first 12 holes, to tie for seventh, with Zachary Hawkins producing a 1-under 70, highlighted by six birdies, five coming on the front nine for the Pirates.
Lai was the low scorer at last year’s state championship for Stevenson with a 3-under 68 to tie for third at San Gabriel Country Club.
Etcheverry added a 73, with Chadha and Marc Gabriel Sasetia both shooting 74s for the Pirates, who rebounded from a two-stroke setback May 27 against Concord De La Salle at the Northern California Regional at Berkeley Country Club in El Cerrito.
Stevenson School won its first CIF state boys golf team title since 2013 with a 2-under 353 at Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach | Erik Boal photo
Hudson Vedder led Santa Margarita by placing sixth Tuesday following a 3-under 68, including four birdies plus an eagle on the par-5 ninth hole.
Alex Sheehan and Ronin Bannerjee both fired 73s, Landon Frank and Anthony Wu both carded 74s, with Daniel He securing the tiebreaker with a 76 for the Eagles.
Josh Kim tied for fourth place for Concord De La Salle at 4-under 67, featuring five birdies as well as an eagle on the par-4 eighth hole.
Noah Eisen had a 71, Will Hardy produced a 73, Drue Sanchez posted a 74, Barron Beinke carded a 77 and Tavin McKinley achieved a 78 for the Spartans.
La Serna, the CIF/SCGA Southern California Regional winner, was led by Tyler Yao finishing in a tie for ninth with a 1-under 70.
After surviving consecutive sudden-death playoffs at both the CIF/SCGA qualifier May 22 at Temecula Creek Golf Club and May 29 at the Southern California Regional at the Los Serranos South Course in Chino Hills, Soong didn’t need to rely Tuesday on similar drama to capture the individual crown.
St. Francis freshman Jaden Soong finished with seven birdies, including the 17th and 18th holes, and an eagle on the par-5 ninth hole to shoot 9-under 62 in his debut at the CIF state boys golf final | Erik Boal photo
Soong nearly didn’t have the opportunity to participate in the playoff at the CIF/SCGA qualifier, as he and St. Francis coach Kyle Ostrom left the venue in Temecula to drive back to school in La Canada Flintridge with the belief that the freshman wasn’t part of the group that would determine the final individual berths to advance to compete at the Southern California Regional.
Following a phone call alerting Soong to him being one of seven golfers in contention for four qualifying berths, they quickly reversed course and returned to the facility in just enough time for the freshman to start the playoff.
Soong advanced on the second sudden-death hole, then duplicated the achievement in another playoff following a 4-under 70 at Los Serranos South Course at the Southern California Regional to secure his state finals debut.
Despite playing the first eight holes Tuesday at 2-under, Soong used an eagle on the par-5 ninth as the catalyst for an exceptional final 10 holes, where he shot 7-under during the stretch, including back-to-back birdies to conclude the round.
Soong placed his second shot on the par-5 18th to within 15 feet of the hole, but his eagle putt came up a foot short in pursuit of a potential 61, resulting in a tap-in birdie to clinch the championship.
Jaden Soong of St. Francis lines up his final birdie putt on the par-5 18th hole at Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach to finish 9-under 62 at the CIF state boys golf championship | Erik Boal photo
Soong, who was a combined 12-under spanning 90 regulation holes during the postseason in addition to his success in both playoffs, became the first freshman to win the state title since Luke Potter of La Costa Canyon shot 64 at Poppy Hills in 2019.
Liu also concluded his round with birdies on the 17th and 18th holes to remain the clubhouse leader at 64, before Soong pulled even at 7-under with a birdie on the par-4 14th hole.
Liu, who contributed to Torrey Pines winning the team title last year by finishing tied for fifth at 2-under 69 at San Gabriel Country Club, achieved six birdies and added an eagle on the par-5 10th hole Tuesday to place himself in championship contention.
Brayden Jones, a sophomore at Mater Dei, was in the same pairing as Soong and took third at 5-under 66, featuring six birdies.
Champion Jaden Soong of St. Francis, left, was joined by Evan Liu from Torrey Pines, Luke Brandler of Stevenson, Josh Kim from Concord De La Salle, Hudson Vedder of Santa Margarita and Brayden Jones from Mater Dei among the top six finishers at the CIF state boys golf final | Erik Boal photo
Michael Riebe of Cathedral Catholic tied for seventh place at 2-under 69, with Brendan O’Keefe from Palo Alto shooting 1-under 70 to earn a ninth-place tie, as 11 golfers from the field of 54 finished under par.
Lai, Liu and Kim were the only three competitors who shot under par again Tuesday after also achieving the feat at the state final last year at San Gabriel Country Club.