BUCKINGHAM >> Brad Pendleton of Lakeport won the 24th annual Lake County Open Golf Championship in runaway fashion this past weekend at Buckingham Golf and Country Club.
A reinstated amateur, Pendleton carded rounds of 76 and 67 for a 1-under-par 143 aggregate total and an 11-stroke margin of victory. It was Pendleton’s fourth victory in the Lake County Open. He also won in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Saturday’s weather during first-round play featured soft greens from the previous night’s rain, yet golfers also had to deal with gusting winds throughout the day. Pendleton kept things close by posting a 4-over-par 76 to take a two-stroke lead over two-time Lake County Junior champion Matt Wotherspoon of Buckingham. Adam Giusti of Petaluma and Brels Solomon of Upper Lake were tied for third place after opening with scores of 80. Wyatt Ferrell of Kelseyville was in fifth place with 83.
Pendleton opened his lead to an almost insurmountable amount on Sunday as he shot a 5-under-par 67. All aspects of Pendleton’s game were in the zone as he bombed drives, hit greens in regulation and carded seven birdies. His one-day score of 67 is the lowest round of golf in the history of the Lake County Open.
Wotherspoon shot a second-round 76 to finish at 154, a 10-over-par total that was good for a distant second place. Giusti fired an 83 and finish in solo third at 163. One stroke farther back in fourth place was Wyatt Ferrell with 81 for a 164 total. Solomon rounded out the top five with a second-round 88 for a 168 aggregate.
Net division
In the net division for golfers with handicaps of 10 and higher, Peter Wotherspoon of Buckingham recorded net scores of 70 and 65 for a 135 total and a five-stroke victory over his closest pursuer, Joe Del Prete of Kelseyville. Del Prete shot 74 and 66 for a 140 total. Rick Easter finished third with 144 (73-71). John Flynn of Cobb and Ken Kellner of Kelseyville tied with 155 while Cliff Morris of Cobb was one more stroke back at 156.
Senior flight
The senior flight for golfers age 50 and older was a two-man race as Craig Kinser of Lakeport outlasted Jerry Pangle of Lakeport for a three-shot margin of victory. Kinser grabbed a one-stroke lead on Saturday by shooting 79. While he had some struggles during the final nine on Sunday, he was able to grind out an 80 for a 159 total. Pangle shot 80 during first-round play and followed it up with an 82 on Sunday to finish second behind Kinser.
It was Kinser’s sixth win in the senior division following victories in 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2014.
Senior net
Dr. Bob Jolin of Lakeport won the senior net division with scores of 69 and 80 for a 149 total. One stroke behind him was Scot Lamanuzzi of Buckingham. Lamanuzzi started strong with two birdies in his first five holes but was unable to sustain that level of brilliance. He carded scores of 73 and 77 for a 150 total. Right behind Lamanuzzi was Lakeport resident John Langan with 79 and 72 for a 151 total. Todd Colbrandt of Middletown finished at 154 (75 and 79).
A total of 27 golfers competed in this year’s Lake County Open. The next event on the Lake County Amateur Golf Circuit is the Lake County Three Man Championship scheduled for May 16-17 at Buckingham. Entry information is available by contacting the Buckingham pro shop at 279-4863.
