Robert Gautney: Ex-Stockdale golfer Fernandez captures Irvine City Championship
| Tuesday, Jul 19 2011 05:27 PM
Last Updated Tuesday, Jul 19 2011 05:29 PM
Pete Fernandez Jr. has his game back. Fernandez, the former Stockdale High star now attending UC Irvine, won the Irvine City Championship this past weekend at the picturesque Strawberry Farms GC in Irvine.
Fernandez, a former two-time Californian All-Area Golfer of the Year shot rounds of 69-66 for a 7-under 135 total on the par-71 layout and broke the old tournament record of 137. The 66 was just one stroke off of the course record of 65 by Raymond Ho. Fernandez played in the final group with 2010 State Amateur and SCGA Amateur Champion Scott Travers who finished second.
The tournament was only the fourth competitive event for Fernandez since sustaining an injury last September just as school was starting. The injury forced Fernandez to red-shirt his freshman year (2010-11) at Irvine. Fernandez qualified for the California State Amateur in June but did not make the match-play field of 32 and then made the cut and finished 32nd two weeks ago in the SCGA Amateur Championship.
Fernandez will be competing in an open qualifier today (Wednesday) for a spot into the Long Beach Open, a professional event, and then will play in the SCGA Match-Play Championship August 8-10 at Sandpiper GC in Goleta.
HOCKER SHOOTS HIS AGE
Paul Hocker desperately wanted to shoot his age. Monday at Mifflin-Buena Vista that dream became reality as the 78-year-old Hocker shot a 78 at BV to accomplish his goal.
"I had surgery a while back and when I started to play golf again I told my buddies that I was going to shoot my age. I had come close a few times but it always seemed like a double-bogey or a triple-bogey would do me in," said Hocker of his personal milestone. "But I only had one double and only made one bogey on the back nine this time."
Hocker shot a 41 on the front nine that included that double-bogey but strung together eight pars and the lone bogey on the back for a 1-over 37, the last stroke a 4-footer for par on the 18th hole for the 78.
Hocker was playing with Vic Pignato and Dwayne Whittington.
BAKERSFIELD CITY AMATEUR
Sign-ups will continue through Wednesday July 27 for the 32nd Bakersfield City Amateur Championship that will be July 30-31 at Sundale CC. Entry is $120 and includes both days greens fees, tee prize and awards.
There will be a championship flight (5 index and less), a handicapped flight (6-12) and seniors flight (age 50 and over by July 30). Seniors can play in both the senior flight and the championship flight. Players with indexes higher than 12 must play down to that figure.
The tournament is part of the 2011 Michelob Ultra/Sports Authority Player of the Year Series. The top 10 and ties in the championship flight will earn points towards the 2011 Player of the Year title.
Call Sundale at 831-5224 to get more information or to sign-up.
SHAIN AT JUNIOR OPTIMIST NEXT WEEK
Meghan Shain, the current Kern County Women's Amateur Champion and Frontier High star, will play in the Junior Optimist International July 28-31 at the PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
This will be the third time that Shain has qualified for and participated in the JOI. Last year, she was the second low American player in the 15-18 age group in a field that will be represented by girls from numerous countries from all over the world.
There will be 100 girls in the 15-18 age flight and there will be a cut to the low 35 and ties after 54 holes.
Shain will be flying out to Florida on Tuesday and then will play a practice round on Wednesday before the opening round of the tournament on Thursday.
CHIP SHOTS
* There will be qualifying tournaments for the U.S. Amateur over the next few weeks and Tee to Green will bring you the results of local players as they are received.
* The SCGA Match-Play Championship at Sanpiper GC in Goleta August 8-10 could have four local players in the field. Bhavik Patel and Manav Shah are eligible to accept invitations to play in the championship bracket while Pete Fernandez has already accepted his invitation to play. On the seniors side, Dan Hogan is still at No.10 on the points list and is eligible to compete. There are 32 spots in the championship division and 16 spots in the seniors and the invitations are by order of the points lists.
* Entries are now being accepted for the 4th Taft City Amateur at Mifflin-Buena Vista August 13-14. The tournament is a championship flight only event played at scratch. Entry is $80 which includes both days greens fees, lunch on Saturday the 13th and prizes. Deadline is Thursday August 11 at 5 p.m. The tournament is part of the 2011 Michelob Ultra/Sports Authority Player of the Year Series. Call BV at 398-9720 to sign-up or to get more information. Bhavik Patel, the current California Amateur Champion, is the 2-time defending champion and tournament record-holder with a 14-under 130 in 2009.
Tee to Green appears weekly at Bakersfield.com/sports. You can reach Gautney at rgautney@bak.rr.com.
