Jose Perez of Sacramento and Adam Giusti of Santa Rosa prevailed in overtime Saturday to capture the 22nd annual Lake County Two Man Scramble Golf Championship at Buckingham Golf and Country Club.
Perez and Giusti are longtime friends who graduated from Kelseyville High School in 2003 and both were four-time All-Conference golfers on the Kelseyville High School golf team. It marked the fourth time that Perez and Giusti have finished atop the leader board at the Two Man Scramble, having previously won in 2010, 2011 and 2015.
The Perez and Giusti team waged a spirited battle with their playing partners, Lake County Junior champ Matt Wotherspoon and Hidden Valley Lake Golf Course superintendent Billy Witt. Both teams opened play with matching 4-under-par scores of 32 on the front nine and then remained tied throughout the back nine with 3-under-par rounds of 33 for 7-under-par totals of 65. On the first playoff hole, Wotherspoon and Witt chipped close from alongside the green for a certain par. Perez then calmly rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt to secure the victory.
In third place was the team of Javier Casteneda of Kelseyville and Jason Laveglia of Clear Lake Riviera. They posted a score of 3-under-par 69. In fourth place with a 1-under-par 71 was the duo of Mike Griggs of Willits and Riley Childress of Fortuna.
Net division
In the net division for golfers with handicaps of 10 and higher, Dylan Harrison and Chad Menshew, both Cobb residents, carded a net total of 59 to win their flight. Jesse Santana of Kelseyville and Scot Lamanuzzi of Buckingham came in with a net 66 and were followed by Rick Tracy of Kelseyville and Lake County Junior girls champion Maddie Witt with 67.
Senior flight
In the senior flight for golfers age 50 and older, Kelseyville High School golf coach John Berry and Jerry Pangle of Lakeport started strong with a 2-under-par front-nine score of 34 and then strung together a series of back-nine pars for a 37 to card a 1-under-par 71. Berry and Pangle won the senior flight by three strokes. They also won the senior division of the Two Man Scramble in 2012.
In second place was the team of Craig Kinser and Alan Mathews, both Lakeport residents. Kinser and Mathews have won the senior division of the Two Man Scramble on four previous occasions.
Senior net flight
In the senior net division, Rick Easter of Lakeport and Todd Colbrandt of Middletown recorded a net 65 to prevail in their flight. Craig Werner of Kelseyville and Mike Smith of Susanville finished with 68 and Bobby Iversen and Jay Greb, both Kelseyville residents, carded a 70.
Golfer of the Year
Following completion of play, Buckingham PGA professional Mark Wotherspoon recognized the 2016 On the Links golfers of the year, Juan Lopez of Lakeport. Lopez won the season-long points race for golfer of the year honors, the seventh time he has done so covering a span of 16 years. He also won in 2002-05, 2008 and 2013.
Jerry Pangle was recognized as the senior golfer of the year. He also took home that title in 2014.
Rick Easter was named the net golfer of the year for the fourth time, having previously finished atop that category in 2005, 2013 and 2015.
Todd Colbrandt was the senior net golfer of the year. It marked the first time Colbrandt has won in that division. He was the net golfer of the year in 2008.
The next tournament on the Lake County Amateur Golf Circuit is the Lake County Match Play Championship. It is scheduled for April 1 at Buckingham Golf and Country Club. Contact the Buckingham pro shop at 279-4863 for more information.
