Shea Lague (AmateurGolf.com Photo)

He won't be saying that after Tuesday's round.

Lague shot a 29 on the Ranch Course with seven birdies to run away from the field and win the 2024 San Diego Amateur South at Steele Canyon Golf Course in Jamul Calif., by ten shots with an 11-under total.

Lague has called Steele Canyon his home course for six years now and has shot 61 in multiple rounds. He was born and raised in Jamul. 

"I just tried to hit a lot of fairways to give myself opportunities to make some birdies and not too many bogeys," Lague said. "I ended up having a couple of chip-ins and giving myself close putts and making them."

He also had a secret weapon this morning before his round.

"I had a breakfast burrito," Lague said. 

Lague was the first-round leader after a round of 5-under 66 and followed that up in the final round 6-under 65. Lague shot a 1-over 36 on the back nine, but the title was already well in hand. 

Lague is no stranger to elite competitive golf, as the San Diego State junior made the 2022 Quarterfinals in the U.S. Amateur at The Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, N.J.

Now, Lague turns his attention to collegiate golf, where he is trying to help lead the Aztecs to Nationals, which is right down the road this year at Omni La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. 

"We are definitely trying to make Nationals this year," Lague said. "It wouldn't be fun to miss out on it being just 30 minutes from campus."

Trae Cassell of Rancho Santa Fe finished in solo second place at 1-under, and Lague's teammate Jackson Moss of San Diego, Calif., finished in solo third place at 2-over. 

Easton Phillips of Coronado, Calif., and Denis Watson Jr. of Laguna Beach, Calif., rounded out the top five with a T4 finish at 3-over.

Cassell won the Mid-Amateur Division, and Ricardo Camarena of San Diego, Calif., won the Net Division at 12-over.

Senior Championship Division

Net Division Champion Ricardo Camarena

Mark Strickland of San Diego, Calif., won the Senior Championship Division in a narrow race, shooting 3-over and beating Jim Plotkin of Carlsbad, Calif., and Anthony Ventura of Spring Valley, Calif., by one shot.

Strickland entered the final hole up one shot and was able to make par to narrowly hold off his chasers, as they also both made par and finished at 4-over. 

This was the Wake Forest graduate's first time playing at Steele Canyon Golf Club and his first AmateurGolf.com event.

"It was fantastic," Strickland said about the course. "The greens were maybe the best I have putted on in the county. They were fantastic and real fast and smooth."

Strickland added, "I really had a blast."

Strickland finished as the low amateur in the 2023 U.S. Senior Open at Sentry World and played in the 2023 U.S. Amateur and 2023 U.S. Mid-Amateur.

Dennis Martin of Los Angeles, Calif., finished in solo fourth place at 6-over.

Daniel Sivadge of El Cajon, Calif., and Dennis Reiland of Irvine, Calif., tied for the win in the Super Senior Division at 9-over.