Brett Sollers got off to a slow start, but the Los Altos Hills resident recovered in time to win the Shoreline Junior Classic June 23 in Mountain View.
Sollers shot a 2-over par 74 to win the overall title of the under-17 tournament at Shoreline Golf Links.
Brian Duckworth also shot a 74, but Sollers was crowned champion because he had a better score on the back nine. Sollers shot a 34 and Duckworth tallied a 39.
The 16-year-old Sollers is lucky that the back nine was used to break the tie and not the front. That's because he was 4-over par after seven holes.
However, Sollers progressively moved up the leader board from there.
"I was hitting the ball all right (early on), but I just wasn't scoring well," he said. "Then I started making some birdies."
Sollers shot 2-under the last 11 holes. He birdied three of the final four holes and chipped in on 18.
"That was my best shot of the day," Sollers said of the chip. "I used a sand wedge and (the ball) rolled about 35 feet."
Sollers said he's won age division titles before, but this is his first overall tournament championship.
And the win has worked wonders for his confidence.
"I feel like I can play with anyone now," he said. "I know I can win now."
Sollers is going into his junior year at St. Francis High. He plays on the school's varsity golf team with his twin brother Adam.
Adam's summer job kept him from competing in the Shoreline Junior Classic, but it won't stop him from making the next big local tournament.
Both Sollers plan to compete in the U.S. Amateur Qualifying Tournament this coming Monday at the Stanford Golf Course. Brett said it's one of the most competitive junior tournaments in the area.