Strang Returns for Second Swing at Title

Jeff Strang has a degree in communications, his resume on desks of employers all over Orange County, and several job offers to choose from.

All of which will have to wait.

First he has some unfinished business.

With everything else he’s got going--or on hold--Strang is a member of the Saddleback College men’s golf team, which is among the favorites today in the community college state championships at the Glendora Country Club.

Strang, 29, is the oldest player in the history of the Saddleback golf team, which has a roster filled mostly by 18- and 19-year-olds. His new nickname: “Gramps.”

He could have pursued a career and settled down after graduating from Cal State Fullerton in 1998. He could have given up thinking he was good enough to play golf at the collegiate level. But when the opportunity to win a state title arose, Strang chose to put his professional life on hold for a couple of years.

“Everything that I’ve had to sacrifice--growing up, getting a real job, getting settled financially--it’s all been worth it,” Strang said. “Because we’re going to get a state championship.”

And so Strang has thrust himself into a younger world ruled by baggy clothes, rap music and frequent trips to fast food restaurants.

But a shared desire to win has helped close any generation gap between him and his teammates.

“We’re all here to play golf,” Strang said. “So we had something in common right away. After that it’s easy.”

Earning a place on Saddleback’s team was difficult. Strang tried out in 1993, ’94 and ’95 and failed to stick. In ’93 and ‘94, he was cut. In ‘95, Coach Bill Cunerty asked him to redshirt. So he went on with his life and education.

Strang was ready to forget about playing competitive golf until a chance meeting with Cunerty in the summer of 1998.

Playing in the San Clemente city championship, Strang and Cunerty were paired for the first two rounds. Strang finished third in the tournament and Cunerty quickly shifted into recruiting mode.

“He got the spark again,” Cunerty said.

Strang didn’t warrant a second glance as a Saddleback student taking classes toward a certificate in computer information systems, but his new golf teammates wondered why he was with them.

“At first I was like, ‘What’s he thinking?’ ” said Bob Sauer, a sophomore. “Here I am thinking I can’t wait to get out of school and here he is coming back.”

Teammates now say they like having Strang around. He offers a voice of experience about college life and sometimes keeps the younger guys in line. But it’s his desire to succeed that has most endeared him to the team.

While most Saddleback players are seeking to earn a scholarship or roster spot at a four-year school, Strang is not looking past today. This is his last chance.

“He came back just to win a state title,” teammate Nick Fritz said. “That motivates us for sure.”

The bitter memory of finishing second in the state tournament last year motivates Strang. The Gauchos shot a team score of 723, 19 strokes better than the previous state record. But Long Beach shot 719.

If not for the close call, Strang might have left Saddleback after the 1999 season. He even told Cunerty he would not be returning. But a week later he changed his mind.

“I was just sitting on the fact that we were so close,” Strang said. “I knew we had everyone coming back and we had a good shot at winning it again so I came back.”

Said Cunerty: “He’s been a guy that the players can go to if I’m not there. And he knows how to keep the guys focused. He’ll tell them to enjoy this while they can because if they blink, it’s gonna be over.”

Strang said he has learned a lot too, especially on the course. He watched the younger players compete without fear, firing at the pins on just about every shot. Instead of lagging close, they rammed long putts right at the cup.

“Before, I was always playing it safe,” Strang said. “I was playing an older, wiser game, but you can’t win like that. I saw how aggressive these guys were and it made me a better player.”

Strang is averaging 76 this season and has been the team’s low scorer three times. Last year, his 69 in the Southern California Regional helped get Saddleback into the state finals.

Win or lose today, Strang will leave Saddleback with fond memories of his second run of college life. He recalls a road trip last year, for example, when teammate Scott Henderson decided he would eat an entire jalepeno pepper.

Henderson, sweat beading on his forehead, then challenged the rest of the team to follow suit.

“They have a different sense of what’s fun,” Strang said of his teammates.