BUCKINGHAM >> Juan Lopez of Finley and Brad Pendleton of Lakeport carded a 3-under-par 69 to capture the seventh annual Lake County Alternate Shot Golf Championship on Saturday at Buckingham Golf and Country Club.
Lopez and Pendleton started out slow and carded a front-nine score of 1-over-par 37. However, they caught fire on the back nine, making birdie-three on the par-4 12th hole, followed by birdies on the 13th and 16th holes and the watery 17th, all par-5s. A combination of powerful drives coupled with rock-solid putting penciled out to a 4-under-par 32 during the course of the final nine. Lopez and Pendleton ended up winning by four strokes.
In second place was the team of Hidden Valley Lake superintendent Billy Witt and Lake County junior champion Matt Wotherspoon. Witt and Wotherspoon shot a 2-over-par 38 on the front nine and came back to shoot a 1-under-par 35 on the final nine to card a 1-over-par 73.
Net flight
In the net flight for golfers with handicaps of 10 and higher, Dr. Bob Jolin of Lakeport partnered up with Jesse Santana of Kelseyville to post a net score of 5-under-par 67. Two strokes back in second place was the team of Rick Easter of Lower Lake and Todd Colbrandt of Middletown. They shot a 69. Peter Wotherspoon of Monterey and Chad Menshew of Mount Hannah finished a distant third with 76.
Senior division
In the senior division for golfers ages 50 and older, Craig Kinser and Alan Mathews, both from Lakeport, defended their Alternate Shot title by recording a 3-over-par 75 to win by seven strokes. Kinser and Mathews opened up with a front-nine 39 and rebounded during the course of the back nine to record an even-par 36. Finishing in second place was the team of Manny Mendoza of Buckingham and Bobby Iversen of Kelseyville with 82.
Standings
The season-concluding Lake County Tournament of Champions takes place today at Buckingham. It is the 10th and final tournament on this year’s Lake County Amateur Golf Circuit schedule. The points races for the On the Links Lake County golfer of the year will be finalized at the conclusion of the TOC. Currently there is a three-way battle atop the standings for golfer of the year between Matt Wotherspoon, Juan Lopez and Brad Pendleton. Whoever finishes highest at the TOC will end up atop the standings.
Jerry Pangle of Lakeport has already clinched senior golfer of the year honors. Todd Colbrandt has a solid 125-point lead over Scot Lamanuzzi of Buckingham in the race for senior net golfer of the year. Lamanuzzi would have to win the senior net TOC while Colbrandt would have to finish in eighth place or worse for Colbrandt to lose his place atop the standings.
Colbrandt and Easter are in a two-way battle for net golfer of the year and whoever finishes ahead of the other this weekend will take home the overall title.
