Golf:

Mike Moorhead knows what it takes to win.

“It’s all about putting if you are going to win a tournament,” he said.

The 16-year-old Corona del Mar High sophomore can also drive a golf ball 290 yards.

But Moorhead verified his words above when he made a 40-foot birdie putt on the third playoff hole to claim the boys’ 16-18 division title of the La Costa Open, a Future Collegians World Tour event Feb. 7.

Moorhead, coming off his victory at the Toyota Tour Cup Championship in January at the Oak Valley Golf Club in Beaumont, entered the final round on the South Course at La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif., in seventh place. But a one-over-par 73, which included a sand save on the par-four, 18th hole, secured his spot in a playoff with Ben Heisey of Orange.

Both Moorhead (77-73) and Heisey finished the two-day tournament six-over-par 150.

“I had a lot of confidence at La Costa; I’m keeping it in play,” said Moorhead, who has won five tournaments in the last two years. “I hit the ball well ... and didn’t make any big numbers.”

In January, Moorhead called the Toyota Cup his “best” win since he started playing golf six years ago. He maintains that opinion after his latest victory on the FCWT, a national junior golf organization for players ages 11-18.

Moorhead grew up in a family of golfers. He practices at Big Canyon Country Club and his mother, Ann, father, Mike, and sister, Kelly, all play.

Moorhead, the defending Pacific Coast League individual champion who was the first golfer in CdM Coach Mike Starkweather’s 12 years at the helm to reach the CIF Southern California Golf Assn. Regional tournament, works with Bob Lasken from Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo.

Moorhead said the strongest part of his game is his wedge play. But that’s also the area he works on most.

Moorhead played on the Sea Kings’ frosh-soph basketball team for three weeks earlier this season, but turned his attention to golf.

“I want to see how far I can [go in golf],” he said.

The boys’ golf season is on the horizon. The Sea Kings went undefeated (10-0) in league last spring, and finished 18-2 overall.

Moorhead is confident in this year’s group.

“We’re still young, but we have a lot of potential,” he said. “We’ll be just as good, if not better.”

 The Orange Coast College men’s golf team hasn’t started “official” play, but last week Coach Sean Collins said the Pirates learned what they need to practice heading into Orange Empire Conference matches. He said this before the Pirates won the 14-team Art Teixeira Memorial Invitational Friday at California Country Club in Whittier.

OCC started the “pre-”season on a positive note with a third-place finish at the Tee-Off Classic at Los Serranos Country Club in Chino Hills Feb. 1 and Feb. 3. The Pirates followed with a five-under-par 211, good for seventh place at the 13-team Pnoomonia Four-Ball/Victor Valley College Invitational on the par-72 Spring Valley Lake Country Club course Feb. 8.

Coast has returners Joe Doody and Kord Tagley and freshman Ryan Knapp, who starred at Estancia High. Knapp tied for seventh (73-76 –149), just three shots more than co-medalists Connor Covington (Santiago Canyon; 75-71 – 146) and Nick Quintanilla (Glendale; 69-77 – 146) on Los Serranos’ par-72 North and par-74 South courses, respectively.

OCC finished 39-over as a team (375 – 394 – 769).

The Pirates begin OEC play in a four-way with Santiago Canyon, Santa Ana and Irvine Valley March 3 at 8:30 a.m. at Santa Ana Country Club.

BRYCE ALDERTON’S golf column appears Wednesdays. He may be reached by e-mail at [email protected].