MURRIETA – With a berth in the state golf tournament riding on his shoulders, Torrey Pines High freshman Michael Kim sank a short putt on the second playoff hole yesterday at the Southern California Regional championships.

The shot allowed Kim to advance, but not before being carried off the green, riding on the shoulders of Falcons coach Chris Chandler.

Kim was the only San Diego Section golfer to move forward in the one-round event at the SCGA course.

“That was pretty cool,” Kim said of the ride from Chandler and being greeted by teammates. “It feels really good (to qualify). As a freshman, it's pretty special.”

Kim shot a 2-under-par 70 to join five others, including junior teammate Allen Kwon, in a playoff for the last four of the six individual state berths awarded to players not from one of the top three teams.

The playoff came down to Kim facing a 2-foot putt for par to become the last of four players, from the five remaining, to qualify on the par-4 No. 2 hole. He set up the attempt with a 40-foot putt from the edge of the green.

“My heart was thumping (at the end),” said Kim, who had no three-putts in the round. “I just said to myself, 'Put a good stroke on it. You have the right lie.' I did it, and it went in.”

Chandler, a former NFL quarterback, responded with a football-style celebration.

“He deserved to go off in a blaze of glory,” Chandler said. “This doesn't surprise me. The first day of our team qualifying, watching him hit the first tee ball, you knew that he's something pretty special. He's been as consistent and good as any player all year.”

Kwon was eliminated from the playoff with a double bogey on the par-3 first hole.

Kim heads to the state tourney at the Santa Maria Country Club on Tuesday. The San Diego Section missed out on having a team advance for the second straight year.

Section champion La Costa Canyon, led by junior Steven Kearney at 71, placed fourth with a 6-over 366 to finish five shots behind Fullerton Sunny Hills and defending champion Clovis West in a second-place tie. Santa Barbara won the title at 355.

“Obviously, we're disappointed, but it takes close to even par to have a shot,” LCC coach Steve Armstrong said. “Our kids didn't play poorly, but they didn't make a lot of putts.”

Johnny MacArthur of Newhall Hart won the title in a two-hole playoff with Santa Barbara's Andrew Perez after the two tied at 67.

Torrey Pines (369) placed fifth. Senior James Erkenbeck shot a 72, three shots off his score a year ago when he reached the state tourney in a playoff.