GETTING HIGH MARKS SIMI VALLEY'S MODGLIN LEARNING TO LIKE JUNIOR CIRCUIT.

Byline: Rich Hammond Staff Writer

With all due respect to the science and math teachers at Simi Valley High, Mark Modglin is probably learning more this summer than he did in any classroom last school year.

That's really saying something, considering that Modglin is a 4.0 student, but the curriculum these days is different.

Modglin, one of the area's top young golfers, is busy learning the ins and outs of top-level junior golf and discovering that he has what it takes to compete on the national level.

``It's a very competitive atmosphere,'' Modglin said. ``There are college scholarships on the line for a lot of people, so there's a lot of coaches walking around and watching.

``That just pumps me up to want to do even better, and after every round I find myself staying out on the course to work on different things. I'm basically on the course from dawn till dusk when I'm playing those tournaments.''

Modglin has played two events on the American Junior Golf Association tour this summer, with mixed results.

In late June, he traveled to Weston, Conn., for an AJGA event and struggled mightily. Though he opened with a 4-over 75 that left him tied for 11th, he struggled over the final two days.

A second-round 78 kept Modglin in the top 20, but in the final round he shot an 11-over 82 and finished in a tie for 32nd place.

``I just felt really out of place there,'' Modglin said. ``It was really hot and I didn't have a lot of fun.''

Modglin had much more fun the next week, when he competed in Edmond, Okla. He started strongly again, with a first-round even-par 70 that left him tied for eighth, but this time there was no falloff. He climbed to seventh after a second-round 72 and finished in a tie for ninth after a final-round 75.

``It was a great experience, but I wish I could have that last round back,'' Modglin said. ``That was a little rough, but it was fun because The Golf Channel was there taking pictures and everything.

``That gives me some confidence for upcoming tournaments.''

Modglin is competing in the AJGA event at La Purisima Golf Course in Lompoc, which concludes today, but entered the tournament in what he called a ``scoring funk.'' He believes he is striking the ball well but isn't putting up the strong scores to match.

It's all a part of Modglin's ongoing golf education. He's learning that even if you play 17 strong holes, a lapse of concentration on the 18th tee could doom an entire round.

``If you get even one double bogey or triple bogey, it hurts,'' Modglin said. ``These tournaments are so competitive that you have to stay focused all the time and not give anything away.

``In Oklahoma, this guy (Martin Flores of Mansfield, Texas) was leading the tournament in the final round, and he hit into the water on 16 and 17, and he lost the tournament. I'm learning that you just can't put up big numbers and expect to win.''

Modglin, who was the only Marmonte League golfer to reach the SCGA/CIF championship this spring, is trying to get the most out of his summer experience in order to fulfill some of his goals as a high school player. The Pioneers, who didn't advance to the postseason this year, return their top six players and should push Westlake for the league title.

``We're looking real good,'' Modglin said. ``I hear we have a couple of good freshmen coming in and I always see one of them out practicing.

``I want to go out with a bang. I'd love to win it all at the SCGA, but we'll see how I'm playing when the time comes. I set my goals high, so I'm going to have to keep improving in order to achieve them.''

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Photo: The lessons come fast and furious at the top-level junior tournaments for Simi Valley High's Mark Modglin, who's beginning to benefit from them.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer