Since he showed up at Simi Valley High three years, one of golfer J.D. Archibald's goals was to win the coveted Marmonte League Individual title.

The junior really wanted to do that this year because he knew he would have to beat a slew of top players.

Archibald not only accomplished his goal this season, but he did it in record fashion. His score of 10 under set a league mark and he became the first player to post all four rounds under par.

"I'm really pleased with how the season has gone so far," Archibald said. "It feels really good to win the title because there are so many good players in our league.

"A lot of the top guys are graduating this year, so I really wanted to win it this year when the competition is so tough."

Winning has become a habit for the 17-year-old. As the Pioneers' No. 1 player, Archibald helped Simi Valley earn a spot in the California Interscholastic Federation team playoffs, while also earning a spot in the in the postseason as an individual.

Along with winning the Marmonte League title, one of Archibald's other main goals for this season was to go as far as he could in the CIF's individual playoff tournament.

The first step in Archibald's quest took place Monday as he competed in the CIF-SS Northern Individuals at Sterling Hills Golf Club.

The top 30 advanced to the CIF Southern Section Boys' Golf Individual Championship on May 23 at PGA of Southern California, but unfortunately for Archibald, he did not advance.

Archibald finished Monday's event with a 7-over-par 78, two shots out of a playoff for one of the final spots.

The junior said he got a lot of bad breaks, including suffering a penalty stroke for grounding his putter on a hole.

"It was a weird day," Archibald said. "I was hoping to go a lot father than this, but when you have an event like this that is one round, anything can happen. At least I have next year to try again."

Despite his disappointing finish in the Northern Individuals, one aspect of Archibald's game that has improved dramatically is his ability to control his nerves.

Thanks to the help of Rustic Canyon teaching professional Dan Martin, Archibald has learned to manage his nerves much better when big stakes are on the line.

"I've come a long way, thanks to Dan's help," Archibald, said. "Now instead of thinking about a lot of things, I just focus on the process of hitting the shot I am facing.

"It's a cliché, but I am now focusing on one shot at a time and not worrying about anything else but that shot."

Archibald said his new way of thinking helped him pull out of a putting funk he was in about a month ago.

Instead of worrying about his results, Archibald started focusing on the process of making the putt he wanted, hitting his line and getting it rolling where he wanted. Suddenly, putts started to drop and Archibald's confidence in his putting returned.

With his focus now on each shot rather than the score, Archibald was able to post a scoring average of 71.5, which was nearly a full stroke better than his sophomore season.

But like most great players, Archibald believes no matter how well he's playing, he knows there's plenty of room for improvement.

"You can always get better," Archibald said.

Archibald was introduced to golf when he was 8 years old. He took to it right away, so his parents got him involved with the Ventura County Junior Golf Association.

He credits his time playing in VCJGA events with molding his competitive game and teaching him how to handle the pressure of playing in a tournament.

He also plays in larger Southern California tournaments through the SCPGA and national events in the International Junior Golf Tour.

"Playing in those bigger events was good for my confidence," Archibald said. "Playing and doing well at the smaller local tournaments prepared me to play well at those bigger events."

Bigger events like the United States Junior Amateur. Last year, Archibald reached the round of 16 at the prestigious tournament, garnering national attention in the process.

The result was interest from colleges like Notre Dame and San Diego.

He will visit Notre Dame next month and has already seen USD, which he says he likes a lot.

His goal is to have a big summer playing in national events, so he can nail down his college scholarship before next fall.

"That way I can go out and just have fun during the high school season as a senior," Archibald said.