Photo by Karen Quincy Loberg

Rick Graboski of the Channel Islands Sharks sizes up a putt during the team's National Golf League opener on Saturday at Sterling Hills Golf Club. The Sharks finished second.

The Channel Islands Sharks learned a hard lesson about trying to defend a championship during their 2007 National Golf League opener at Sterling Hills Golf Club on Saturday.

When you're the title holder, everyone brings out their "A" game to try and bring you down.

That's exactly what the Inland Empire Styx did, scoring 34 points, including 13 in the final round, to beat the Sharks by six points. Channel Islands scored 28 for second and the Orange County Wedge was third with 23.

"It's a great way for us to open the season," said Styx captain Joe Skovron. "Last year we finished second in about three of four tournaments, so it's nice to get over the hump and win one.

"It's really nice to beat the Sharks because they're also the defending champions."

The National Golf League, which had its inaugural season in 2005 in Northern California, is team competition. Teams use six players during each 36-hole tournament, with players switching between alternate shot, best ball and scramble formats, each consisting of nine holes.

Players accumulate points in each format and at the end of the competition the totals are used to determine which team wins.

The Sharks are one of six teams in the Southern Division of the NGL. Other Southern Division teams are the Los Angeles Stars, Palm Springs Extreme Heat, San Diego Spikes along with the Orange County and Inland Empire. There is also a Northern California Division and a new Arizona Division.

Sharks head coach Wayne Merich said it was evident from the strategy used by all five of the Sharks' opponents that his team has a bull's-eye on its back.

"We had some really tough pairings against us," Merich said. "The other teams put their best teams against us and that eliminated a lot of points.

"They're all gunning for us and they should be. We're the best."

Merich said the alternate-shot round proved to be his team's downfall.

Leading by three points after the best-ball round, the Sharks ended the alternate-shot round tied with Inland Empire 21-21.

That left the tournament to be determined in the scramble, and throughout much of that round the Sharks had a tough time scoring points.

"Early in the scramble round we had a hard time getting anything going," Merich said. "Our guys hit a lot of good shots, but we couldn't make any putts.

"Then we started making some putts, but our opponents found a way to make a long putt to keep us from scoring points."

It happened a number of times. On No. 7, Chris Zambri of Camarillo knocked his approach shot to less than 2 feet from the pin. When Palm Springs knocked its approach long, it looked like a sure point for the Sharks. But Heat player John Wilson rolled in a 20-foot birdie putt to halve the hole.

"I'm OK with second," Merich said. "I hate it, but I'm OK with it."

The Sharks second match is in two weeks.