NEWS

Southern California News

By Tom LaMarre,
Staff Writer

John Schroeder didn't know how to react because he had not won a tournament in so long.

Schroeder tapped in a one-foot putt for par on the second playoff hole beat Allen Doyle and win the PGA Senior Tour's NFL Golf Classic at Clifton, N.J.

"I just tried to stick to my game plan and not do anything silly," said Schroeder, who was head professional for six years at Rancho Santa Fe Farms Country Club.

"For a long time, I played pretty well but couldn't seem to make up any ground. But I made all my key putts (this time) and when anyone wins a tournament, that's what they have to do."

Schroeder last won at the 1981 Rover Open in Bordeaux, France, and his only victory in 28 years on the PGA Tour was at the 1973 Liggett and Myers Open Match Play Championship.

He earned $180,000 by shooting 69-70-68-207 at Montclair Country Club, nine under par, and outlasting Doyle, who finished at 73-66-68-207, in the playoff.

"It feels great," said Schroeder, who still lives in Rancho Santa Fe. "It really hasn't see in yet because I never was in the lead until the 54th hole.

"I wasn't even thinking of winning on 18. I thought Allen had a two-stroke lead on me so I was just trying to get second alone."

Thinking he needed a birdie to secure the runner-up spot, Schroeder got it by rolling in a 10-footer on the final hole.

He didn't know Doyle made a bogey on the 17th hole in the final group of the day, and when Doyle's 12-foot birdie putt on the final hole stopped short, they were tied.

"When we went to the playoff, I figured I was in good shape and would win," Doyle said.

But after both made par on the par-five 18th, Doyle stumbled again on the par-three 17th.

Doyle's tee shot came up short of the green and after a mediocre chip shot, he missed a 12-foot putt for par.

Schroeder's tee shot barely reached the green but he putted to within a foot to make his par.

Schroeder and Doyle started the final round two strokes behind third-round leader Jim Holtgrieve, who struggled to a 76 in the closing round.

Doyle eagled the first hole and birdied three of the next four to build a two-stroke lead and was in command until hitting a poor tee shot on the 17th hole.

Schroeder chipped away, making birdies on the first, sixth and ninth holes, then playing par golf until sinking his birdie putt on 18 to get into the playoff.

By winning, Schroeder earned a one-year exemption on the Senior PGA Tour and a berth in the 2002 MasterCard Championship at Hualalai Golf Club in K'aupulehu-Kona, Hawaii...

• Review: LaQuinta Resort Mountain Course • Past GolfCalifornia.com Course Reviews • Past GolfCalifornia.com News and Notes

Brian Edick of Hart High was selected Valley-Ventura County boys' player of the year by the Los Angeles Times. Edick averaged 1.9-strokes-over par per 18 holes played during the season, but raised his level of play late in the season.

He averaged 2.7 strokes under par in his final four tournaments, capped by a five-under par 67 that tied for first place in regulation play of the CIF-SCGA High School Invitational at the SCGA Members' Club in Murrieta.

Edick, a junior, lost to senior Brandon Hillpot of Colton on the first hole of the sudden-death playoff, but was elated with the improvement in his mental game over the final month of the season.

He said playing in two skins games last spring altered his game.

"Playing in those (skins games) totally changed my attitude," Edick said. "On every hole, I was thinking, ‘Let's try to make a birdie.' It was probably the quickest mental transformation I've ever made with my game. I've been playing with a completely different mental attitude since.

"If I got to one or two under before, I'd just say, ‘Let's just get it in the house.' Now if I get to two under, I'm thinking, ‘Let's try to get another birdie on this next hole.'"

Coach Dennis Ford, who guided Hart to 11 Foothill League titles in 12 years before retiring in June, saw the difference in Edick's game.

"He got stronger mentally," Ford said. "He wasn't uncomfortable with being under par. Before, he'd get a little nervous when he got a couple of strokes under par."

Greater focus in practice and improved physical conditioning also contributed to Edick's success.

Ford said Edick worked harder in practice this season and Edick agreed.

"I made it a point to really focus during my practice sessions," he said. "Before, there were times when I'd take it a little easy. But this year, I did more drills in my practice sessions. I went out to practice with a greater idea of what I wanted to accomplish."

Edick, who tied for fourth in the Southern Section individual tournament and was one of three medalists in the Northern team regional, also added running, weight training and flexibility exercises to his training regimen.

"I just wanted to be stronger," said the 5-foot-7, 135-pound Edick, who has equaled or broken some Hart records set by Jason Gore, who is playing on the PGA Tour. "I know everyone says that the short game is the key to golf, but I didn't want to just give up 30 or 40 yards off every tee shot."...

Tim Hogarth of Northridge became the first four-time champion when he won the 84th Los Angeles City Championship by 12 strokes.

The first round was played at Wilson Golf Course, the second on the adjacent Harding course in Griffith Park, and the last two rounds at Rancho Park Golf Club.

Hogarth, 35, the 1999 California Amateur champion and the 1996 U.S. Public Links Amateur champion, shot 67-68-67-69-271 to win his third consecutive title to go with the championship he won in 1996.

He is first player to win the title three consecutive years. Bud Bradley, the only other three-time champion, won the title in 1969, 1971 and 1973.

Hogarth's victory also means golfers from Cal State Northridge have won the title seven of the last eight years, broken only by Craig Steinberg, from USC, in 1998.

Shane O'Brien won in 1994, Song Hyun in 1995 and Michael Turner in 1997.

Turner, of Woodland Hills, who also won the title in 1987 and 1990, finished second to Hogarth this time at 74-71-69-69-283.

Chris Botsford of Pasadena was third at 69-73-73-69-284, followed by Bob Valerio of Long Beach at 66-75-72-72-285. David Woolf of Northridge shot 71-75-82-74-292 and tied for fifth with Mike Mendoza of West Covina who totaled 72-74-70-76-292.

Tommy Barber of Burbank finished seventh at 69-66-74-78-287, followed by Travis Takahashi of Los Angeles at 72-72-73-72-289.

Patrick Carrigan of Pasadena shot 72-72-76-70-290 and tied for ninth with David Lebowitz of Los Angeles, who totaled 73-75-74-68-290 and David Solomon of Long Beach, who wound up at 73-73-72-72-290... The South rallied on the final day but the North held on to end a four-year losing streak in the North-South team competition at the 90th California Amateur Championship on the Pebble Beach Golf Links.

The Northern California Golf Assn. team totaled 360-369-629 and regained possession of the Roger Lapham Challenge Cup. The Southern California Golf Assn. team finished at 370-364-634.

The South pulled to within two strokes with one group remaining in the final round but medalist Jeff Wilson of Suisun and James Hay of Fremont, the NCGA champion, closed out the victory.

Wilson finished at 69-72-141 and Hay wound up at 75-73-148. Also for the North, Darryl Donovan of Gilroy shot 72-70-142, Jim Wilson of Chico wound up at 72-78-150, Randy Haag of San Francisco totaled 72-80-152 and John Enright of Montara was at 77-76-153.

Scott McGihon of Bermuda Dunes, the SCGA champion, led the South at 72-71-143, followed by John Pate of Santa Barbara at 72-74-146, Greg Puga of Los Angeles, the 2000 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion, at 72-74-176, Tim Hogarth of Northridge at 76-72-148, Craig Steinberg of Van Nuys at 78-74-152 and Nick Jones of Carlsbad, the 2000 California Amateur champion, at 80-73-153...

Dick McClean of Redlands shot six-under par 64 at Redlands Country Club to win the local qualifying tournament for the U.S. Senior Open.

Ted Lyford of Redlands and John McFarland of Costa Mesa shot 69s and earned the other two qualifying spots with pars on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff.

Jack Spradlin Jr. of Chula Vista and Bill Lytle of Hemet, who also finished at 69, lost out in the playoff and were listed as alternates. Louie Garcia of Camarillo shot one-under par 71 to lead qualifying at Rio Bravo Country Club in Bakersfield.

Jack O'Keefe of Santa Maria shot 73 and won a playoff to earn the other spot available at Rio Bravo.

Greg Edwards of Visalia and David James of Taft also shot 73 and were listed as alternates.

Bob Clarke of Murrieta shot three-under par 67 to lead qualifying at Goose Creek Golf Club in Mira Loma.

Cesar Sanudo of El Cajon, who played on the PGA Tour, and Steve Taylor of La Crescenta shot 69 and qualified in a sudden-death playoff. Garrett Garland of Northridge shot 69 and was listed as first alternate.

Qualifiers advanced to the 22nd U.S. Senior Open at Salen Country Club in Salem, Mass...

Thomas Tangtiphaiboontana of Long Beach led section qualifying for the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship on the South Course at Los Serranos Golf Course in Chino Hills.

Tangtiphaiboontana, who will be a sophomore at Yale in the fall, was known as Tommy Tang when he competed in Southern California junior golf.

Tangtiphaiboontana shot 70-72-142, four under par, to win by one stroke over John Merrick of Long Beach, who totaled 72-71-143, and Jason Winter of Camarillo, who finished at 71-72-143.

Gregory Snider of Atascadero earned the final qualifying spot by shooting 72-73-145.

The qualifiers advance to the U.S. Public Links Amateur Championship at Pecan Valley Golf Club in San Antonio, Texas.

Tim Wren of Oxnard finished fifth at 72-73-145 and was listed as first alternate. Charlie Smith of Valencia shot 75-72-147 and tied for sixth with Jay Choe of Yorba Linda, who totaled 77-70-147, and Brandon Hillpot of Colton, who wound up at 75-72-147.

Anthony Thompson of San Diego shot 73-75-148 and tied for ninth with Andy Chao of Glendale, who came in at 74-74-148, and Mike Hamilton of Anaheim, who finished at 74-74-148...

Allison Martin of Bakersfield came from six strokes behind in the final round to win the girls' division of the ClubCorp Junior on the Arnold Palmer Course at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage.

Martin finished at 72-75-69-216 to win by one stroke over Erica Blasberg of Corona, who led after the first two rounds and totaled 70-71-76-217.

"Right off the first tee, I kept telling myself to swing aggressive," said Martin, who got into the tournament by winning a qualifier earlier in the week. "My game went to a new level. My game plan let me get focused, find a target and hit that target. I got my game to a new level and I'm glad I gave it my best."

It was the second American Junior Golf Assn victory of the year for Martin, who earlier won the Ashworth Junior Classic at Quail Ranch.

Ina Kim of Encino finished third at 72-72-74-218, followed by Stella Lee of Irvine at 71-76-73-220.

Charlotte Mayorkas of Chula Vista shot 72-75-75-222 and tied for fifth with Sunny Oh of Torrance, who came in at 71-75-76-222, and Lani Elston of Spokane, Wash., who totaled 77-72-73-222.

Ryan Keeney of Redmond, Wash., sank a two-foot putt for par on the final hole to win the boys' division by one stroke over Kevin Na of Diamond Bar.

The week before, Keeney finished second in the Las Vegas Founders' Legacy Junior in Las Vegas, losing in a playoff to Pat Moore of Phoenix. Kenney didn't know where he stood on the final hole and played it safe, winding up with a par on the hole to force the playoff.

"I didn't want to think about last week," Kenney said. "But I'm glad I asked (where I stood on the final hole) because I didn't want any doubt in my mind. To feel like you've won and then not to is hard to take. I feel like I've gotten my revenge.

"Every shot I hit I feel like it's going right at the hole and every putt is going to drop. It seemed like the only mistakes came when I got a few bad bounces."

Na finished at 70-69-69-208, missing a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole that would have forced a playoff.

Jay Choi of Buena Park totaled 70-72-68-210 and tied for third with Kyle Gentry of Carmel, who wound up at 70-72-68-210. Henry Liaw of Rowland Heights came on strong in the final round to finish fifth at 73-73-65-211.

Anthony Kim of La Quinta shot 70-68-74-212 and tied for sixth with Kevin Larson of Santa Barbara, who finished at 70-73-69-212, and Jeff Bell of Plano, Texas, who wound up at 71-71-70-212.

Previous winners of the tournament include Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Bob May, Grace Park, Kellee Booth and Emilee Klein...

Dave Barber, who played the PGA Tour in the 1970s, has been appointed golf coach at Cal State Bakersfield.

Barber, 55, has no college coaching experience, but has been a teaching professional for 30 years-mostly at Bakersfield Country Club.

"This is something I'm really looking forward to," Barber said. "The thought of coaching a college golf team has crossed my mind before, but I was always busy with other projects.

"Now the timing is right and I feel this will be a tremendous opportunity."

Barber replaces Bill Faeth, who coached the Roadrunners from 1998-2001. Faeth resigned in June after leading Cal State Bakersfield to four consecutive NCAA Division II championship tournaments and to two top-five finishes.

"We are very fortunate to have a professional the caliber of Dave Barber ready to take the reigns of the Roadrunner golf program," said Rudy Carvajal, athletic director at Cal State Bakersfield.

"He has enjoyed great success as a player and a teaching professional and has strong ties to the local community. I am confident that he will be able to keep our program moving in a positive direction."

Barber was a three-year letter winner at UC Santa Barbara and an All-American selection for the Gauchos in his senior year, 1968. He played on the Asian PGA Tour for one year before returning to become assistant pro at Bakersfield Country Club.

But the playing bug bit Barber again and he qualified for the PGA Tour in 1972, where he remained until returning to Bakersfield Country Club as head professional in 1977. He held that position until he retired in 1996.

Barber has worked as a personal instructor for several players at Cal State Bakersfield in recent years.

"(The Cal State Bakersfield team is) a nice group of young men who play excellent golf," Barber said. "My first priority will be to get better acquainted with the returning players."

Four players return who helped the Roadrunners finish fifth in the NCAA Division II tournament last spring.

Two-time All-American Mike Plate leads the way and is joined by All-Americans Kevin Klebe and Dan Warburton, and senior Mike Applegate.

Barber is a member of the Bob Elias and UC Santa Barbara halls of fame.