BUCKINGHAM >> Shawn Auten of Kelseyville sunk a curling, 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th green last weekend to give his team a one-stroke victory in the 21st annual Lake County Two Person Scramble at Buckingham Golf and Country Club. Auten teamed up with Billy Witt for the victory in the Lake County Amateur Golf Circuit event.
The scramble format allows for a team of two golfers to hit their golf shots and choose the better one. They continue to play the hole that way to its conclusion. Strategically it’s an interesting format with room for aggressive play when the first partner hits a good shot and for more conservative shot making when the first partner is out of bounds or in the water.
Auten and Witt carded a 7-under-par 65 under perpetually cloudy skies. The wind was no factor during play on Saturday. Auten and Witt’s round included 11 pars and seven birdies. It’s the third time Witt has been part of the winning duo at the Two Person Scramble, having won this event in 2003 with Dan Leiva and in 2012 with John Dunn.
One stroke back in second place was the team of Brad Pendleton of Lakeport alongside two-time Lake County Junior champ Matt Wotherspoon. They carded a 6-under-par 66. In third place was the twosome of Brels Solomon of Upper Lake and Juan Lopez of Finley. They shot a 4-under-par 68. Solomon and Lopez won the Two Person Scramble way back in 1997 and again in 2013 and 2014.
Max Huff of Clear Lake Riviera and Hipolito Perez Jr. of Kelseyville tied the team of Wyatt Ferrell of Clear Lake Riviera and Dylan Harrison of Cobb for fourth place. Both teams carded rounds of 3-under-par 69. Defending champions Adam Giusti of Petaluma and Jose Perez of Sacramento finished in sixth place with 71.
Senior flight
In the senior division for golfers ages 50 and older, Dr. Bob Jolin of Lakeport and Jesse Santana of Kelseyville posted a 4-under-par 68 to win by two strokes. Two strokes back at 2-under-par 70 was Bob’s brother, Tom Jolin of Lakeport, and his partner Don Joseph of Buckingham. Tied for third place at even-par 72 were defending champions Craig Kinser and Alan Mathews, both of Lakeport, as well as Mike Smith of Susanville and Craig Werner of Kelseyville.
Colin Ross of Buckingham and Joerg Abraham of Clear Lake Oaks rounded out the top five with a score of 75 while Kelseyville High School golf team coach John Berry and Jim DeCristofaro of Lakeport came in sixth with a 76.
Net flight
Bob Jolin and Santana also entered the net division for golfers with handicaps of 10 and higher. They ran away with the title, carding a net score of 16-under-par 56, five strokes ahead of the Tom Jolin and Joseph team as well as the Smith-Werner twosome, both at 61.
Rick Easter of Lower Lake and Todd Colbrandt of Middletown finished in fourth place with 66. There was a three-way tie for fifth place between John Flynn of Cobb and Armond Urbano of Middletown, Mike Davis of Kelseyville and Peter Wotherspoon of Monterey, and Kelseyville residents Mark and Paul Borghesani, all with 67.
Scot Lamanuzzi of Buckingham and Ken Kellner of Buckingham finished at 71.
A total of 24 two-person teams entered this year’s Lake County Two Person Scramble. At the conclusion of the tournament Buckingham’s PGA golf professional, Mark Wotherspoon, recognized the Lake County Circuit’s On the Links golfers of the year for 2015. Brad Pendleton accumulated the greatest amount of player performance points and was named golfer of the year. Craig Kinser was senior golfer of the year, Rick Easter was the net golfer of the year, and Dr. Bob Jolin was the senior net golfer of the year.
The next event on the Lake County Amateur Golf Circuit is the Lake County Match Play Championship on April 2 at Buckingham.