BUCKINGHAM >> Reigning Lake County Junior champion Matt Wotherspoon paired up with reigning Lake County Amateur titlist Brad Pendleton to capture the eighth annual Lake County Alternate Shot Golf Championship last weekend at Buckingham Golf and Country Club.
The Alternate Shot is perhaps the most difficult of two-person team competitions in that every shot counts and oftentimes one partner puts the other into a position that is nothing short of uncomfortable.
Wotherspoon and Pendleton started slow on the opening nine as they made double-bogeys on the par-4 first hole and the par-5 seventh hole. They offset those hiccups with three birdies on the front nine and carded a nine-hole score of 1-over-par 37 to trail a pair of teams by one stroke. Billy Witt, the superintendent of Hidden Valley Lake Golf Course, and Riley Adams, a former All-Conference golfer at Middletown High School, were tied atop the leader board with Juan Lopez of Finley and Brels Solomon of Upper Lake. Witt-Adams and Lopez-Solomon carded even-par scores of 36 through nine holes.
The back nine featured lots of movement as Wotherspoon-Pendleton finally took the lead with four birdies during a seven-hole stretch to take a one stroke lead over Witt-Adams with just two holes remaining. The watery par-5 17th hole ultimately determined the tournament as Witt-Adams made a triple-bogey eight while Wotherspoon-Pendleton made their fifth birdie of the back nine to extend their lead to five strokes. Wotherspoon-Pendleton made par on the final hole to shoot a back-nine 31 for an 18-hole total of 4-under-par 68.
Witt-Adams shot 37 on the back nine for a total of 1-over-par 73 to finish in second place while Lopez and Solomon carded a second-nine 38 for a 2-over-par 74, good enough for third place.
Senior flight
In the senior flight for golfers ages 50 and older, Craig Kinser of Lakeport paired up with Alan Mathews of Lakeport to shoot an 81 and win by five strokes.
Net flight
In the net flight for golfers with handicaps of 10 and higher, Rick Easter of Lakeport and Todd Colbrandt of Middletown finished regulation play with a net score of 2-under-par 70 to finish tied atop the leader board with Scot Lamanuzzi of Buckingham and former Buckingham superintendent Darren Hostetler, currently living in Alaska. Easter and Colbrandt won the sudden-death playoff by making par on the first playoff hole.
Schedule
The Lake County Amateur Golf Circuit calendar year wraps up this Saturday with the playing of the Lake County Tournament of Champions at Buckingham. Those interested in competing can contact the Buckingham pro shop at 279-4863.
