Cerritos golfer Joshua Koo still beaming from 10-under 62 to win tournament

Joshua Koo, 16, had never shot a round of golf better than seven-under par. Then came his performance Sunday on the final day of the two-day Toyota Tour Cup at Palm Desert Resort — the same day of the final round of the Masters.

Golfers watching said, “It was crazy.” Koo, a junior at Cerritos High School, made eight birdies, one eagle and no bogies enroute to a 10-under-par 62 to win the tournament by six strokes at 13-under.

“I hadn’t been hitting that well recently and was working on my putting,” he said Tuesday by phone while taking a break from online classes. “That day everything clicked. Shots would go within 15 feet and I’d make the putt. It was a really fun round. I was struggling with mostly putting. It was a relief my putting was so good that day.”

His longest made putt was from 38 feet.

His sister Jasmine, a freshman, has won more golf tournaments than he has, but Sunday no one was beating him. Even on the tough 18th hole, where he was just trying to make sure his tee shot went into the fairway and his next shot made the green, he made a birdie.

“Dang, you’re on fire,” one of his fellow golfers said.

He’ll be playing for Cerritos’ golf team in Southern Section action this spring.