CITY OF INDUSTRY, July 1 — Clark Heath of Coto de Caza almost didn’t make the field for the 31st SCGA Senior Amateur Championship, but he made his first appearance in the event a memorable one by grinding out a one-shot victory today at Industry Hills Golf Club.
The 56-year-old Heath, a Continental Airlines pilot for 30 years, had to survive a two-hole playoff in a qualifying round at Shadowridge CC to get into the field. Once there, he shot 71-73 — 144, 2 over par over the challenging Zaharias Course, and finished one shot ahead of Michael Miyasaki of La Habra, who had today’s best round, an even-par 71, for a two-round total of 145.
Steve Rhorer of Costa Mesa finished third at 146 (74-72), a shot in front of three golfers, including first-round leader Frank Merhar of La Jolla, who slipped to a 77 today after shooting 70 yesterday.
With his wife, Trish, as his caddie, Heath, a three-time club champion at Coto de Caza Golf & Racquet Club, posted three birdies on the front nine and his 2-under-par total for 27 holes had him four shots clear of the field. Then the wheels came off, as he went bogey, bogey, double bogey over the next three holes and saw his lead shrink to one. “It was a struggle out there,” he admitted after the tournament was over.
With Miyasaki sitting in the clubhouse at 3 over par for the tournament, Heath righted the ship, making three consecutive pars before knocking a wedge approach shot to within six feet of the hole on the 416-yard 16th hole and sinking the birdie putt. “That was huge,” he said later, “because it gave me a little cushion going into the last two holes.”
On the 188-yard 17th hole, Heath two-putted from 80 feet (“another turning point,” he would say later), and although he made bogey 6 on the final hole, it was enough for the victory, which Heath termed his “biggest win ever.”
Miyasaki had closed to within a shot of the lead after making birdie 2 on the 179-yard 14th hole but a bogey 5 on the 16th hole turned out to be the difference. “I had my chances,” he said later, “and just couldn’t close the deal.”
Rhorer had a severely up and down beginning to his round, making just one par in his first eight holes, along with three birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey 5 on the par-3 seventh hole. He finished with nine pars and a birdie 2 on the 17th hole but it proved to be too little, too late.
After posting a 2-under-par 70 yesterday, Merhar could not follow it up in his bid become a two-time champion (he won in 1998). He made six bogeys today and his only birdie came on the par-5 finishing hole.
The top six finishers will be among the 16 seniors who will play in the SCGA Senior Match Play Championship August 12-14 at Sandpiper Golf Course in Santa Barbara. The “junior” portion of the event will feature 32 golfers; that list will be finalized in early August.
Full results from 6,531-yard, par-71 Industry Hills Golf Club's Zacharias Course follow:
Pos. |
Name/Hometown |
Rd.1 |
Rd.2 |
Tot. |
1 |
Clark Heath, Coto De Caza, CA |
71 |
73 |
144 |
2 |
Michael Miyasaki, La Habra, CA |
74 |
71 |
145 |
3 |
Steve Rhorer, Costa Mesa, CA |
74 |
72 |
146 |
T4 |
Jeff Hooper, Chatsworth, CA |
73 |
74 |
147 |
T4 |
Chip Bridges, Encinitas, CA |
72 |
75 |
147 |
T4 |
Frank Merhar, La Jolla, CA |
70 |
77 |
147 |
T7 |
Patrick Hanley, Venice, CA |
76 |
72 |
148 |
T7 |
Scott Parker, Placentia, CA |
75 |
73 |
148 |
T7 |
Warren Caves, Newport Beach, CA |
74 |
74 |
148 |
T10 |
Greg Mokler, La Quinta, CA |
73 |
76 |
149 |
T10 |
Steve Yavorsky, Capistrano Beach, CA |
73 |
76 |
149 |
T12 |
Steve Bogan, Placentia, CA |
76 |
74 |
150 |
T12 |
Steve Lindstrum, Solvang, CA |
73 |
77 |
150 |
T12 |
Rich Tolly, Laguna Hills, CA |
73 |
77 |
150 |
T12 |
Robert Stermon, San Diego, CA |
73 |
77 |
150 |
T12 |
Robert Carver, Fullerton, CA |
71 |
79 |
150 |
T17 |
Marty Temple, Anaheim, CA |
76 |
75 |
151 |
T17 |
James Myers, Oceanside, CA |
76 |
75 |
151 |
T19 |
Howie Knodt, Chula Vista, CA |
76 |
76 |
152 |
T19 |
Kemp Richardson, Laguna Niguel, CA |
76 |
76 |
152 |
T19 |
Peter Daley, Newport Beach, CA |
75 |
77 |
152 |
T19 |
Rick Herrera, Orange, CA |
74 |
78 |
152 |
T19 |
Jim Seymour, Bakersfield, CA |
74 |
78 |
152 |
T19 |
Charley Griswold, Ojai, CA |
74 |
78 |
152 |
T25 |
Randy Reznicek, Vista, CA |
78 |
75 |
153 |
T25 |
Ken Knott, Los Angeles, CA |
79 |
74 |
153 |
T25 |
Douglas Swinehart, Pauma Valley, CA |
75 |
78 |
153 |
T25 |
Thomas Hofman, Sierra Madre, CA |
73 |
80 |
153 |
T29 |
Bill Cunerty, Mission Viejo, CA |
78 |
76 |
154 |
T29 |
Greg Aitkens, Mission Viejo, CA |
78 |
76 |
154 |
T29 |
Jim Saivar, San Diego, CA |
79 |
75 |
154 |
T29 |
Gregory Trompas, San Diego, CA |
76 |
78 |
154 |
T29 |
Stephen Friend, Redondo Beach, CA |
75 |
79 |
154 |
T29 |
Tim Black, Sierra Madre, CA |
74 |
80 |
154 |
T35 |
John Dore, San Diego, CA |
77 |
78 |
155 |
T35 |
Nyal Leslie, Santa Monica, CA |
77 |
78 |
155 |
T35 |
Philip Hamilton, San Diego, CA |
76 |
79 |
155 |
T35 |
Rich Morrison, Marana, AZ |
77 |
78 |
155 |
T35 |
Mike Schell, Los Angeles, CA |
78 |
77 |
155 |
T35 |
Bill Bullock, Irvine, CA |
79 |
76 |
155 |
T35 |
Gregory Hetzer, San Pedro, CA |
74 |
81 |
155 |
T35 |
Robert Greig, Los Angeles, CA |
74 |
81 |
155 |
T35 |
Steven Hakes, San Diego, CA |
83 |
72 |
155 |
T44 |
Parker Anderson, Santa Barbara, CA |
78 |
78 |
156 |
T44 |
John Lavery, Mission Viejo, CA |
77 |
79 |
156 |
T44 |
Larry Grant, Westminster, CA |
76 |
80 |
156 |
T47 |
Jerry Michals, Carlsbad, CA |
79 |
78 |
157 |
T47 |
Bill Brammer, San Diego, CA |
80 |
77 |
157 |
T47 |
J.C. Massar, Pasadena, CA |
80 |
77 |
157 |
T47 |
Dave Crawford, Camarillo, CA |
80 |
77 |
157 |
T47 |
Ray Vanyo, Banning, CA |
81 |
76 |
157 |
T52 |
Chips Swanson, Granada Hills, CA |
78 |
80 |
158 |
T52 |
Topper Owen, Santa Barbara, CA |
78 |
80 |
158 |
T52 |
Ted Lyford, Redlands, CA |
77 |
81 |
158 |
T52 |
Kirk VonSalzen, Coto de Caza, CA |
76 |
82 |
158 |
T52 |
Bryan Rolfe, Huntington Beach, CA |
79 |
79 |
158 |
T52 |
James Hills, Hungtington Beach, CA |
81 |
77 |
158 |
T58 |
Richard Oh, Chino Hills, CA |
78 |
81 |
159 |
T58 |
Ed Holmes, Riverside, CA |
77 |
82 |
159 |
T58 |
David Cornett, Newport Beach, CA |
79 |
80 |
159 |
T58 |
Robert Acosta, San Pedro, CA |
80 |
79 |
159 |
T58 |
Dan Struble, Lompoc, CA |
84 |
75 |
159 |
T63 |
Lachlan Hough, Carpinteria, CA |
78 |
82 |
160 |
T63 |
Steve Wilson, Solana Beach, CA |
82 |
78 |
160 |
T63 |
John Billington, Santa Maria, CA |
83 |
77 |
160 |
T66 |
Paul Ladin, Westlake Village, CA |
78 |
83 |
161 |
T66 |
Richard Nordlund, Santa Barbara, CA |
82 |
79 |
161 |
T68 |
Ivan Samuels, Indio, CA |
78 |
84 |
162 |
T68 |
Mark Battista, Rancho Mirage, CA |
84 |
78 |
162 |
T70 |
Jim Krusen, San Diego, CA |
81 |
82 |
163 |
T70 |
Tom Fischer, Murrieta, CA |
82 |
81 |
163 |
T70 |
Larry Hanes, San Clemente, CA |
87 |
76 |
163 |
T73 |
Farrell Hinkle, Costa Mesa, CA |
79 |
85 |
164 |
T73 |
Monte Amendt, Ventura, CA |
82 |
82 |
164 |
T73 |
Rick Doebler, Fullerton, CA |
85 |
79 |
164 |
T73 |
John McCarthy, Ventura, CA |
86 |
78 |
164 |
T77 |
Jeffrey Smith , La Verne, CA |
82 |
83 |
165 |
T77 |
Lee Tomlinson, Los Angeles, CA |
84 |
81 |
165 |
T77 |
John Suzow, Newbury Park, CA |
86 |
79 |
165 |
T80 |
Larry Burton, Oceanside, CA |
78 |
88 |
166 |
T80 |
Howard Schwartz, Encino, CA |
83 |
83 |
166 |
T82 |
Scott Sale, Los Angeles, CA |
87 |
80 |
167 |
T82 |
Scott Monroe, Julian, CA |
89 |
78 |
167 |
T82 |
Bruce Short, Palos Verdes Estates, CA |
88 |
79 |
167 |
T85 |
Thomas Klauda, La Jolla, CA |
78 |
91 |
169 |
T85 |
Bill Cushman, Santa Barbara, CA |
79 |
90 |
169 |
87 |
Jeremy Evans, Los Alamitos, CA |
85 |
86 |
171 |
88 |
Ronald Frederick, Temecula, CA |
89 |
88 |
177 |