Robert Gautney: Fernando, Miller qualify for SoCal 4-Ball Championship
| Wednesday, Oct 28 2009 08:18 PM
Last Updated Wednesday, Oct 28 2009 08:18 PM
Bakersfield will be represented in the finals of the Southern California Golf Association's 4-Ball Championship as the duo of D.J. Fernando and Jeff Miller carved out a 5-under 67 in qualifying at Rustic Canyon in Moorpark on Oct. 22.
The 67 gave the team an equal 7th finish as there were 12 qualifying spots from a field of 46 teams that were trying to advance to the finals at the Dove Canyon CC in Dove Canyon, Nov. 16-17.
Four other local teams competed and the team of Bob Gibson and Bill Frankhouser, Jr., came agonizingly close to advancing as they shot a 3-under 69. That score put them in a tie for 13th with four other teams just one shot from a playoff for the last of the 12 spots up for grabs. Four teams shot 68 which occupied the 9-12 positions.
Next in line were Scott Anderson and Mark Pavletich, who shot 2-under 70 to finish equal 16th, while the teams of Gary Crabtree and Chris Zumbro and Jeff Groves-Connor Huser each shot 1-under 71 to tie for 27th.
Of the 48 teams in the finals at Dove Canyon, 36 had to qualify and 12 received exemptions.
Richardson/Seymour 16th in Senior 4-Ball
Kent Richardson and Jim Seymour shot consecutive rounds of 71 to finish at 2-under 142 in the SCGA Senior 4-Ball Championship at El Niguel CC in Laguna Niguel Monday and Tuesday.
Richardson and Seymour finished tied for 16th from a field of 56 teams that entered as there were no qualifying events.
Another local team, Steve Heiter and Poth Wolfgang, shot 76 and 75 to finish tied for 47th.
The tournament was won by Bill Brammer and Howie Knodt, who beat Kemp Richardson and Logan Rich in a playoff that took five holes. Knodt won the tournament when he birdied that fifth playoff hole after the teams and tied at 12-under 132.
For Knodt, it continued his remarkable SCGA year as he has won every senior event for 2009.
Bakersfield College women lock-up WSC title
The Bakersfield College Women's golf program won its first Western State Conference championship in the 9-year history of the program.
The Renegades clinched the conference crown last week but there is still one more WSC get-together before BC moves into the So Cal Regionals.
That last tournament will be Nov. 1-2 at Olivas Links and while the conference title has been wrapped up, there are still individual laurels that could be achieved by BC.
"We could play the worst we have played all year and we will be the champions," said BC golf coach Larry Cook. "Obviously, we don't want to do that. We would like to continue our fine play and gain some momentum for the regionals and it looks like we will also have four gals that will be playing for individuals honors at Regionals too."
Those four would be sophomores Katherine James and Ellen Krausse and freshmen Dee Ray and Stacie Netzer. Debbie Benson and Vivian Davis round out the roster for the WSC champions.
James and Krausse, along with reigning California Junior College champion Asaka Kim from Santa Barbara, will be playing for the WSC individual crown at the final WSC event next week. James leads Krausse by three total strokes with Kim another four back.
The tournament next week will count as three events in one.
"The first day will be our WSC mini-tournament No.7 and the second round will be No.8," says Cook. "Then they will combine the two rounds for the WSC Championship tournament."
James, Krausse, Ray and Netzer will also be playing as individuals in the So Cal Regionals at Los Serranos CC Nov. 9-10, while the team will be competing for a spot in the State Championships at Kings River CC on Nov. 16-17.
"It looks like our top four will be advancing individually," says Cook. "It would take two uncharacteristic rounds by Ray and Netzer to knock them out of the top 12 in our conference."
The top two teams and the top 12 individuals in each conference advance to the regionals where Cook says the Renegades will get stiff competition from Saddleback, Santiago Canyon and Palomar.
"We've beaten all three of those teams, so we know we can do it. We will just have to do it when it counts," says Cook. "We would like to advance to the State tournament. Our program hasn't done that yet."
BC advanced to the regionals in 2002, the second year of the program, but did not qualify for the state event. The top two teams and top eight individuals from the So Cal Regionals will advance to the state tournament.
Chip shots
* Jim Foster, 71, shot his age with a 1-under 71 at Haggerty-North Kern golf course on Oct. 26. Foster has been playing golf for over 40 years and the 71 was one of his best rounds.
Tee to Green appears weekly at Bakersfield.com/sports. You can reach Gautney at: rgautney@bak.rr.com.
