LOCH LOMOND, Calif. (October 11, 2018) - Billy Witt of Clear Lake Riviera captured the 35th annual Lake County Amateur Golf Championship this past weekend. The Amateur, the county’s longest-running stroke play golf tournament of note, was contested at Adams Springs Golf Course on Cobb Mountain.

A total of 42 golfers from throughout Northern California competed in the four flights at this year’s Lake County Amateur.

Championship flight

Witt opened play Saturday morning with a 3-over-par 71 to jump out to a four-stroke lead over Dylan Harrison of Mount Hannah and a five-stroke lead over Jerry Pendleton of Lakeport. Witt took advantage of his power game by driving several of the par-4 holes as well as making birdies on some of Adams Springs’ more difficult holes such as the 190-yard par-3 fourth hole and the 420-yard par-4 15th hole, better known as the Fleming hole.

Witt, the superintendent of Hidden Valley Lake Golf Course, shot a second-round 77 on Sunday for a 36-hole aggregate total of 148. Although he didn’t play as well during second-round play as he had Saturday, Witt was never pressed by the rest of the championship flight.

Pendleton finished in second place, matching Witt with a 77, to finish five strokes back at 153. Norm Rentsch of Lakeport and Jim DeCristofaro of Finley shared third place with 36-hole totals of 163. Rentsch shot 83-80 while DeCristofaro carded scores of 79-84. Three strokes farther back in fifth place was Chip Bowlin of Buckingham. Harrison missed his tee time Sunday and didn’t play in the second round.

It was the second Lake County Amateur title for Witt on his impressive golfing resume. It was 14 years ago that he initially won the Amateur, making a 5-foot par putt on the final hole to defeat Juan Lopez of Finley by one stroke. This time around it was a little easier as he jumped to the top of the standings in this year’s race for the On the Links Golfer of the Year. With his victory this past weekend, Witt took over first place from Matt Wotherspoon, who has relocated to Southern California and is a member of the golf team at Cypress College.

Senior flight

Jerry Pendleton won the senior flight (age 50 and older) by five strokes after shooting a 36-hole total of 153. Leonard Lea of Clear Lake Riviera came in second place after putting up scores of 79-79 for a 158 aggregate. Third place went to Bob Burnezky of Clear Lake Riviera with 83-80 for a 163 total. One stroke farther back was Dennis Layton of Lakeport after shooting 84-80. Rick Easter of Lower Lake finished in fifth place with scores of 81-85 for a 166 total.

Net flight

In the net flight for golfers with handicaps of 10 and higher, Tom Salie of Kelseyville emerged from a crowded leader board to secure a one-stroke victory over a 14-golfer field. Salie played consistent golf while recording scores of 69-68 for a 137 total. Tied for second place were Armond Urbano of Middletown and John Flynn of Cobb. Urbano made a big move during second-round play Sunday, but came up just short, shooting rounds of 75-63 for a 138 total. Flynn, who led the net flight after Saturday’s first round, came back to the field Sunday as he carded scores of 64-74 to match Urbano at 138.

Patrick Mullins of Millbrae was in fourth place after shooting scores of 65-79 for a 144 total. Peter Wotherspoon of Buckingham rounded out the top five after putting up scores of 69-76 to finish one stroke out of fourth place. Todd Colbrandt of Middletown shot 75-71 for a total of 146 while Joe Del Prete of Kelseyville came in solo seventh place after recording scores of 76-71 for a 147 aggregate.

Senior net flight

In the senior net flight, Jerry Tilton of Clear Lake Riviera was mired in seventh place Saturday following a 2-over-par 70. However, Sunday was a much different day for Tilton, a 27-handicap golfer, as he recorded the low net round of the day, a 6-under-par 62, to finish atop the leader board with a 132 total. Brian Stork of Cobb came in second place with 72-63 for a net 135 aggregate while Paul Bertlin of Lakeport finished at 140 after turning in scores of 69-71.

Rick Gabehart of Lakeport shot 67-78 for a total of 145, Steve Roe of Nice shot 76-70 for a 146 total, and one stroke farther back was Eddie Mullins of Millbrae with 73-74. Scot Lamanuzzi of Santa Rosa’s Oakmont carded rounds of 75-73 for a 148 total.