San Bernardino Golf Club
(San Bernardino Golf Club Photo)

The Serrano High School graduate led by three shots with six holes remaining but following a double-bogey on the 13th and bogeys on Nos. 16 and 17 Perea found himself trailing Matthew Sandoval by two shots with just the par-5 18th remaining.

On the closing hole both players set themselves up with birdie tries and it appeared as if Sandoval was in the drivers seat. However, in golf you can always expect the unexpected and after Perea birdied, Sandoval missed his winning par putt and carded a bogey that tied the two and sent the proceedings to extra holes.

In the playoff both players birdied the first two holes thus sending the drama filled afternoon to a third extra hole. A drivable par-4, Perea nearly drove the green and when Sandoval hit his drive offline he was in the drivers seat.

Sandoval's second shot, with a forced carry over water, came up short of the green and when he was unable to get up and down for par things were in the hands of Perea. Playing with some leeway Perea chipped it close and knocked in the ensuing putt for his third birdie in as many playoff holes.

“It was probably one of the best playoffs I’ve even been in as far as us trading birdies,” Perea told the The Sun.

Behind the top two came Brock Lynch (+9) in third and Brian Blalock (+12); Jacob Lynch (+12) in a tie for fifth.

-Editors Note: The Sun contributed to this story