BUCKINGHAM >> On a cold, windy and rainy morning at Buckingham Golf and Country Club, Juan Lopez of Finley survived the elements and the field on April 28 to capture the 27th annual Lake County Open Golf Championship.
The second-longest running stroke play golf tournament in Lake County, Lopez added a fifth Open title to his impressive golfing resume, having previously won the tourney in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2008.
Lopez opened play by carding a 2-over-par 38 on the front nine to find himself tied atop the leader board with Dylan Harrison of Mount Hannah. Lurking one stroke behind was Kelseyville High School golfer Matt Wotherspoon, who turned in a 3-over-par 39. Lopez, playing in the pairing directly behind Harrison and Wotherspoon, kept his one-stroke lead throughout the back nine. He gave himself some breathing room by making birdie on the watery par-5 17th hole to go two strokes clear of the field. Lopez joked that he felt he had to make the birdie putt on the 17th after watching his playing partners hole out shots from off the green. Craig Kinser of Lakeport chipped in from 90 feet on No. 17 while Kelseyville High School golf coach John Berry holed out a 50-yard wedge shot. Lopez carded a back nine of 1-over-par 37 for an 18-hole total of 75.
Finishing two strokes behind Lopez was Wotherspoon, who turned in a second nine of 38 to finish with a 5-over-par 77. One stroke farther back in third place was Dylan Harrison, who matched his front nine 39 to shoot 78.
Lopez, who is 51 years old, also prevailed in the senior flight for golfers ages 50 and older. His 75 ran away from the rest of the members of the senior set. Kinser finished in second place with 84. Leonard Lea, the defending Senior Open champion, tied for third place with a 90 alongside Berry. Jerry Pangle of Lakeport tied for fifth place with Manny Mendoza of Buckingham. Both golfers shot 94.
Net flight
In the net flight for golfers with handicaps of 10 and higher, Todd Colbrandt of Middletown held off a tightly congested leader board and finished with a net score of 3-over-par 75. Tied for second place one stroke back were Peter Wotherspoon of Buckingham and Richard Knight of Kelseyville, both with net scores of 76. Joe Del Prete of Kelseyville was fourth net with 77 while Tim Brown of Mount Hannah finished fifth with 78.
A handful of competitors didn’t finish their rounds, a consequence of tough weather conditions combined with punitive rough at Buckingham. The Lake County Open was the first full-stroke tournament of the young season on the Lake County Amateur Golf Circuit and the frustration of playing one’s own ball had an impact upon some of the contestants who chose not to complete their round.
Schedule
The next tournament on the local circuit is the golfer friendly Lake County Three Man Championship, which will be held at Buckingham on Saturday. The Three Man is a scramble-format event. Entry information can be acquired by contacting the Buckingham Pro Shop at 279-4863.
