SUNSET REGION: Reigning champ already in front

Shadow Ridge golfer Ben Davis has only played at Siena Golf Club a few times in his life.

You’d never know it by his performance, though.

Davis, the defending Sunset Region individual champion, carded a 3-under-par 69 to lead the field after the first day of the Sunset Region meet on Tuesday.

“It’s short, and right now I’m struggling with my long irons,” Davis said of Siena, where he shot a first-day 79 to lead the field a year ago. “I like having a wedge in my hand, because there isn’t as much room to screw up a shot.”

Davis put on a short-game clinic Tuesday, totaling four birdies to one bogey as he used his putter to make up for several errant shots off the tee.

“My putting was amazing,” he said. “I only missed one putt that I thought I should’ve made. But even that was a 15-foot slider going away, so it was a tough putt to make.”

The Mustang sophomore ended the front nine with consecutive birdies, sinking a 20-foot putt on the par-4 No. 9 to shoot 34.

Davis also smashed his driver nearly 300 yards off the tee of the par-5 eighth hole, laid up with a 3-iron to the fringe and dropped a short wedge-stroke within four feet of the pin to tap in for birdie.

“I wasn’t really feeling confident, because my irons and wedges weren’t great,” Davis said. “They were a little bit off, so I had to get up and down a lot, which I did.”

Dillon Dudley shot 1-under 71, and Brandon Bauman added a 72 as Palo Verde cruised to the team lead with 381.

Dudley made three birdies on the back nine, including consecutive bombs on Nos. 11 and 12, but also carded three bogeys on the back. His birdie on the par-4 second hole led to a 1-under 35 on the front.
Bishop Gorman shot 400, followed by Arbor View at 404, Desert Oasis at 405 and Centennial at 411.

Van Thomas led the Aggies with a 74, dropping three birdies on the back nine .

“I think we’re better as a team when we relax, and we were too tense on the front,” Thomas said. “But on the back, coach told us, 'We’re out; play for yourself, and try to make the next day by yourself.’ It really lifted the pressure.”

Zane Thomas and Nick Bible each added a 76 for Arbor View, and Cody Piper shot 81.

“Nick really stepped it up today; I’m really happy for him,” Van Thomas said. “Without him, we wouldn’t even be in contention. I knew he was worried about it earlier; he was stressing about it. But he got that off his shoulder, and he should do well tomorrow.”