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E-mail StoryRobert Gautney: Plenty of history at stake in next week's Kern County Women's Amateur golf tourney
| Tuesday, May 6 2008 11:25 PM
Last Updated: Wednesday, May 7 2008 8:50 AM
A quick look at the history of the Kern County Women's Amateur golf tournament.
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The 72nd Women's Kern County Amateur Championship will take place next week on the Foss-Kern River and Sundale Country Club golf courses. The defending champion is Stevie Luckett, a surprise winner last year, who won by seven strokes.
The seven strokes was the biggest margin of victory in the last 10 years of the tournament, if you throw out former Centennial High star Allison Martin's 18-shot shellacking of the field in 2002.
That year, Martin's 147 total was the best ever for the tournament when it has been played at 36 holes. The next best 36-hole tournament total is 154 by Jacque Servadio in 1996 and equaled by 2006 winner Cyndi Walla, ironically last year's runner-up to Luckett.
Of course, the best performances in the history of the tournament belongs to former West High, UCLA and LPGA Tour winner Lisa Kiggens-D'Amore, who won four in a row from 1987-90 and shot a record 7-under for 54 holes in winning the 1990 event by a record 24 shots! The tournament went back to 36 holes in 1994.
Luckett, who will try to become the 12th back-to-back winner, is a mere 13 titles behind Francis Buchner-Ratliff, who from 1940 through 1960 won 14 times, including consecutive runs of five and seven in a row.
Next on the career list is Harriett Sheldon and Dot Klinger with five championships each, followed by Kiggens at four and Donna Frank, Servadio and Jeanette Cleveland with three each.
Cleveland was the last three-peat winner from 1999-2001, but Frank, Kiggens, Sheldon, Ratliff and Servadio all won three in a row or more.
Since the championship went back to 36 holes in 1994, the best single round score is the 1-under 71 that Martin shot in the final round at Buena Vista. Next is the 74 that Servadio carded at Foss-Kern River in the final round in 1996.
So, there you have quick look at who the headline makers have been over the years of women's golf in Kern County. Next Tuesday and Wednesday, a new chapter will be added.
BC's GOLF SEASON COMES TO A THUD
The Bakersfield College Men's golf team had their promising season come to a sudden halt on Monday as the No.1 ranked team in Southern California was not able to finish in the top four of the Southern California Community College Regionals.
BC was 34-over-par for their top five scores, which put them in a tie for 7th place. Moorpark, a WSC foe, won with a 15-over score while three teams including WSC foe College of the Canyons all tied at 21-over for the remaining three qualifying positions into next week's State Community College Championships at The SCGA Golf Course in Murietta.
Unfortunately, BC, as a team picked the wrong time to play poorly and with Kirk Harper suffering through a back injury on the way to 164 total, BC just didn't have much of a chance.
While the team will not be advancing, freshman Josh Barnes will be. Barnes shot a 1-under 143 to finish equal 6th and advanced into the state finals. Bryce Holloway, who is BC's No.1 player and an All-State honoree last year, just missed out on a return trip as he carded a 146 total, one shot from a playoff for the last spot.
CHOI, STOCKDALE WIN SOUTH AREA TITLES
Centennial High freshman Joseph Choi shot a 5-under 67 to win the CIF South Area individual title at Mifflin-Buena Vista on Monday. Stockdale High sophomore Pete Fernandez was the runner-up at 2-under 70 and helped guide his team to the title by 18 shots over Centennial.
Stockdale and Centennial, along with Bakersfield Christian in Division II, advance into the Central Section team championships next Tuesday at Valley Oaks in Visalia, while Choi and Fernandez will lead the top 15 individuals into the CIF Central Section Individual Championships on May 19 at Riverbend GC in Madera.
KERN COUNTY SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP NEXT WEDNESDAY
The 58th Kern County Senior Championship will be next Wednesday at Foss-Kern River. Tee times will run from 6:30 through noon and players can form their own groups.
Entry is $10, plus greens and/or cart fees. There will be different age group flights and players must be at least 50 by next Wednesday to compete.
Call 872-5128 to get more information or to sign-up.
KERN COUNTY 4-BALL DATE CHANGE
The Kern County 4-Ball Championship at Haggerty-North Kern, has changed its dates from June 21-22 to June 14-15.
NK pro Jim Phillips says that the Challenge Cup between Fresno and Bakersfield will be played on the weekend of the 21st and 22nd.
"We would like to give all of the top players and opportunity to play in the 4-Ball," says Phillips, "so we will change our date to try and accommodate some of those players that will be playing in the Challenge Cup. Hopefully they will play in the 4-Ball."
The 4-Ball will be the second of the Sports Authority/Michelob Light Player of the Year tournaments in which players receive points for top 10 finishes in championship flight play in designated events.
Phillips says that NK will start accepting entries for the 4-Ball next Monday and you can get more information by calling 399-0347.
CHIP SHOTS
* John Simmerman used a 5-iron to ace the 150-yard 13th hole at Sycamore Canyon.
* Chris Maltby aced Sycamore Canyon's 16th hole with an 8-iron from 135 yards.
* Justin Pitts missed by one shot from making the cut in the Desert Spring Tournament No.6 on the Gateway Tour at the Trilogy GC in Peoria, AZ, last week. Pitts shot 72-73 (1-over) and the cut was at even-par 144. Pitts will play in the final spring tournament this week. He will need a top finish to earn enough money to qualify for the Spring Championship May 22-25.
* The Seven Oaks Country Club will host an SCGA Amateur Qualifying tournament on Thursday with many of the top local amateur players competing for a spot into the SCGA Championship at the end of the month. A report will be in next weeks column.