BUCKINGHAM — Jerry Pendleton of Lakeport won the 19th annual Lake County Tournament of Champions golf tournament on Saturday at Buckingham Golf and Country Club.
Sponsored by Twin Pines Casino of Middletown, the TOC is the season-concluding event on the calendar of the Lake County Amateur Golf Circuit. A field of 24 golfers took part and had to brave steady rain and then heavy rain during the course of the 18-hole round.
Pendleton opened his front nine with a 2-over-par 38, playing steady golf by hitting greens and accumulating pars. As the weather worsened on the back nine, he found himself at 5-over through 16 holes. As Pendleton was walking up the 17th fairway, his son, Lake County Amateur champion Brad Pendleton, who was playing in the final group on the 16th fairway, walked over to his dad and told him that Billy Witt was playing rock-solid golf and was even par through 15 holes. At that moment, Jerry Pendleton was five shots out of the lead.
Pendleton proceeded to par the 17th hole and then made bogey on the 18th hole to post a 6-over-par 78. Upon walking off the 18th green, Pendleton was sure he had finished somewhere in the top five of the championship flight.
Meanwhile, Billy Witt of Kelseyville had a three-hole collapse that was nothing short of baffling. After hitting a long drive on the 16th hole, Witt layed up short of the par-5 green, came up short on his third shot, skulled his next one over the green into the bunker, and continued to struggle as he posted a quadruple-bogey nine. He proceeded to triple-bogey his final two holes to finish at 10-over-par 82, falling into a tie for fifth place.
Brad Pendleton of Lakeport ended up finishing in second place with a score of 79. He had a chance to win the tournament outright on the 18th hole or to end up tied atop the leaderboard, but instead he three-putted from 10 feet to finish one shot out of the top spot. Brels Solomon of Upper Lake and Juan Lopez of Finley both shot 81 to tie for third place. Norm Rentsch of Lakeport shot 82 to tie Witt for fifth place.
Net flight
Jason Laveglia of Kelseyville won the net flight for golfers with handicaps of 10 and higher, shooting a 4-under-par 68. He won his division by four shots and was the only golfer in the net category to post an under-par score. Todd Colbrandt of Middletown tied for second along with Richard Steenwyck of Willits. Colbrandt and Steenwyck turned in scorecards with even-par scores of 72. Javier Castenada of Kelseyville finished in fourth place with 83.
Senior flight
In the senior flight for golfers ages 50 and older, Dennis Layton of Kelseyville shot a 9-over-par 81 to capture his flight. Dr. Bob Jolin of Lakeport was two strokes back in second place with 83. Tom Jolin of Lakeport finished third with a score of 86, and Fred Figg of Lakeport came in fourth with 90.
Senior net flight
Bob Jolin shot a 4-under-par 68 to win the senior net flight. Roy Bruce of Lakeport shot a 75 while Tom Salie of Kelseyville carded an 80.
The Tournament of Champions was the final tourney of the year on the Lake County Amateur Golf Circuit calendar. It also marked the end of the yearlong races for the On The Links Golfer of the Year. The overall golfer of the year was Witt. Castenada was recognized as the net golfer of the year. Dennis Layton took home senior golfer of the year honors for the second time, and Tom Jolin captured the senior net golfer of the year title.
The Lake County Amateur Golf Circuit resumes next March with the playing of the Lake county Two Man Partners Scramble. It marks the 18th year of operation for the local golf circuit.
