OPHS golf team playing through without its No. 1
By Thomas Gase tgase@theacorn.com

After losing one of its best players, Oak Park High boys' golf team will look to move on and make a run at the TriValley League title.

The Eagles' golf program has been very successful in the last 11 years, winning league titles in 1996, 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2005. This year, the road to a title will be a little harder after junior Alex Kang decided to part ways with the team.

According to both Kang and Oak Park head coach Bruce Beck, the decision was a mutual one for Kang to leave.

"I didn't really want to go to Westlake every day to golf when I could practice at Wood Ranch," Kang said. "With the $380 to have to pay for the transportation, uniform and golf bag fee, I started to wonder if it was worth it to continue playing with the team. After talking with my personal golf coach, I decided it wasn't."

Although Kang leaving the team may hurt the Eagles' chances of winning another league title, Beck said the move was for the best for both parties.

"I think with Oak Park it should be about winning, but winning with the right people," Beck said. "The decision was a mutual one, and I believe that Alex just didn't fit into a wellstructured system. I had to let everyone on the team know that I don't play favorites; what goes for one player goes for everyone.

"However, I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing. I think Alex is a very talented player, and he will probably continue to keep playing well. I just think he's better as an individual and not as an individual playing for a team."

Last week the team had mixed feelings about losing Kang.

"Alex is an amazing golfer, and score-wise it's really going to hurt us, but he was starting to cause a lot of problems on the team," sophomore Austin Levine said. "I guess he told our coach he didn't want to play high school golf anymore. I think the upperclassmen seemed to be real upset that he's gone, but I do think our team chemistry is better now."

Senior Cole Pensanti was stung by the loss.

"I would say that the seniors are still a little upset, and that anger goes toward both Alex and our coach," Pensanti said.

"I don't really think he was a problem, but I can see how other people would see him as a problem. It really hurts our team by losing him. At the start of the year I thought our team was good enough to go to state. Now I'm mostly playing for myself and hoping the team does well, too," Pensanti said.

Although Kang is gone, the show must go on. Without Kang, OPHS needs freshman Alex Ferman and senior Jason Laterbach to step up.

Ferman has made quite the first impression by averaging a 76.2 score through six matches, second only to senior Ben Howard, who has a 73.5 average through four matches.

According to Beck, Laterbach made the team this year after being cut his sophomore year and getting hardly any playing time his junior season. He is currently averaging a 78.2, the third-best score on the team.

"He's our 'Rocky,' so to speak," Beck said.

"I'm really proud of him. He was just a recreational golfer before he joined the team, and he has still played well for us."

OPHS is currently 3-5 on the year after losing tough matches to Valencia (394-387) and Agoura (386-385). The Eagles play today at Sunset Hills Country Club against Thousand Oaks.