SANTA CRUZ >> San Lorenzo Valley High senior James Dahlen changed his mindset and that helped change his round in the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League Championship at Pasatiempo Golf Club on Tuesday.

Dahlen shook off a rough showing and shot 2-under par over the final four holes to finish with a 7-over-par 77 to secure medalist honors. He was the only player in the field to break 80.

“I made like a 30-footer on hole 18 for birdie, and I was pretty stoked on that,” Dahlen said. “So it was a cool way to go out on my senior year of high school.

“And winning it as a team. It was pretty sick that we were able to win league back to back and go 10-0, which was one better than last year. It’s just pretty cool to finish my high school sports (career) like that, because I play other sports, basketball and football, and golf has always been my favorite.”

Dahlen became the Cougars’ first individual league champion since freshman Ryan Hodge beat Aptos junior Cole DeFrancesco in a playoff for the individual title in 2019.

Two dozen of the area’s best high school golfers took to the iconic, Alister MacKenzie-designed gem, and their competitive juices were at such a high level, many of them were likely blind to the beauty surrounding them: the pristine fairways beneath their feet, graceful deer meandering from hole to hole, the gobbling of the wild turkeys, and the croaking of frogs all along the creek bed on hole No. 16.

Players’ comments were both funny and relatable.

“Is that Death Valley over there?” asked Aptos Zac Guiffre, a freshman, after catching a glimpse of a series of bunkers lining the left side of the fairway and a portion of the green on No. 11.

“Oh, doctor! Oh, doctor!” exclaimed the Mariners’ Ben Nowark on the 18th green, referencing MacKenzie, who was originally trained as a surgeon. “The good doctor threw my ball all over the course today.”

The course, with bunkers galore and fast, undulating greens, was having its way with the youth, and they weren’t particularly happy. Including Dahlen, who is a junior member at the course.

“On (hole number) 13, I was pretty pissed,” Dahlen said. “I tried to think about having fun because this is my last high school match and stuff. I guess that was the motivation I needed to turn it around because I came in strong on the last couple of holes and played better golf than I had on the last six to seven holes.”

Dahlen carded a double-bogey on No. 1, eight bogeys (No. 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12 and 14) and three birdies (No. 13, 15, and 18). He had a sand save for par on No. 16.

He earned a three stroke margin of victory over runner-up Nick Bjorn, a sophomore at Aptos.

“I was 9 over at one point, going into 13, and I was able to come out strong,” Dahlen said. “I really locked in on the last couple of holes and went birdie-par-birdie, so that was sick.”

Dahlen has, at least, one more high school round. He and the unbeaten SCCAL champion Cougars compete in the Central Coast Section Regionals. So does Aptos (7-3), the league runner-up.

The SCCAL Championship also serves as an individual CCS qualifier. The top two scorers not on SLV or Aptos extended their season. Harbor senior Kaden Dunton, the 2024 SCCAL medalist, and Soquel sophomore Peter Robleloth secured those spots.

The regionals takes place at Laguna Seca Golf Ranch in Monterey on Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

Dunton shot 81 for third place at Pasatiempo, and Robleloth shot 84 to tie SLV’s Luke Fontinell for fifth. Aptos senior Colby Culbertson (83) took fourth.

“I played it, literally, yesterday,” said Dunton, who is sponsored by the course. “I was a little frustrated with how I played today. I didn’t read Pasatiempo like I normally do. I usually make sure I’m missing in the right spots and I missed in the wrong spots today.”

Dunton was still in contention to repeat as champ with three holes remaining, but carded a triple-bogey 7 on No. 16 and bogey on No. 17.

“Today was kinda a bad day, for me, for golf,” said Dunton, noting that he was unable to produce a birdie. “Kinda for everyone, really.”

Dunton is optimistic about his game and hopes to advance from the regionals on Tuesday to the championship the following week.

Robleloth will get his shot, as well. He’s happy to get a taste of CCS earlier in his prep career.

“It means a lot,” he said. “I didn’t think I was going to step up and I did. I made the pressure putts and I shot the right score. … The par 3s, those long putts for birdie, whether it was a lag or it was a make, those were instrumental to the round.”

He made a 30-footer on No. 11. His other birdie came on 20-foot putt. It was impressive showing and unexpected considering he played in final of six foursomes.

“Playing in the last group helped me kinda not have as much pressure, taking a relaxed stance on the whole situation,” he said.