BUCKINGHAM — Matt Wotherspoon won the 25th annual Lake County Tournament of Champions on Saturday at Buckingham Golf and Country Club.
Wotherspoon carded a 1-under-par 71 to beat Juan Lopez of Finley by two strokes. A four-time All-Coastal Mountain Conference golfer at Kelseyville High School where he graduated last June, Wotherspoon is enrolled at Cypress College in Orange County. Cypress is the defending California Community College state champion.
The fact that Wotherspoon has won a handful of times on the Lake County Amateur Golf Circuit wasn’t the real story of this year’s TOC. Instead, it is the way he won the tournament that was truly amazing. Wotherspoon hit his opening tee shot into the water to the left of the first fairway at Buckingham. He then attempted a series of heroic shots and ended up hitting three more balls into the water. Reaching the first green in nine strokes, he opened play with a septuple bogey after two-putting for an 11. Wotherspoon also picked up a bogey-four on the par-3 third hole, bringing him to 8-over-par through three holes. Meanwhile Juan Lopez was playing steady golf He picked up an early birdie and led Wotherspoon by nine shots after five holes.
And then it suddenly became apparent as to why Wotherspoon is at the top of the rotation for the defending state junior college champs. During the course of the next 13 holes, Wotherspoon made one more bogey, three pars, eight birdies and an eagle-three on the par-5 16th hole. Wotherspoon totaled 21 putts throughout his round Saturday, meaning he had 15 one-putts.
When the dust had finally settled, he played the final 13 holes at 9-under-par. Lopez, who carded nine-hole totals of 34-39 for a 73, said at the conclusion of play, “This was one of those few times I came in second place not because I lost the tournament, but because there was no way to stop the person who won the tournament. It was a truly impressive round of golf on Matt’s part.”
Wotherspoon credited his putting to getting him atop the leader board and also stated he was pleased with the patience he showed in recovering from his first-hole debacle.
Net flight
In the net flight for golfers with handicaps of 10 and higher, Peter Wotherspoon of Buckingham and Richard Knight of Kelseyville shot net rounds of 2-under-par 70 to finish atop the leader board. Wotherspoon and Knight decided against playing off the net title championship and split the winner’s purse. Todd Colbrandt of Middletown finished in third place with a 74.
Senior flight
In the senior flight for golfers ages 50 and older, the 51-year-old Lopez entered both the championship flight and the senior flight. He ended up capturing the senior division with his 1-over-par 73.
Jerry Pangle of Lakeport came in second with 84 and Lakeport’s Rick Easter finished third with 87. Leonard Lea of Clear Lake Riviera and Dr. Bob Jolin of Lakeport tied for fourth with 90.
Eighteen golfers participated in this year’s Tournament of Champions.
Golfer of the Year
The four divisions of the Lake County Circuit ended their races for the yearlong On the Links Golfer of the Year titles. Hidden Valley Lake Golf Course superintendent Billy Witt ended up as the golfer of the year, the third time Witt has won that honor following previous titles in 2014 and 2010.
Jerry Pangle ran away from the competition in the race for senior golfer of the year, having captured that honor for the fourth time in six years.
Peter Wotherspoon was named the net golfer of the year, the first time he has finished atop the net standings.
Todd Colbrandt is the senior net golfer of the year for a third consecutive year.
The TOC marked the conclusion of the 12-tournament Lake County Amateur Golf Circuit, which completed its 25th season. The 2019 Lake County circuit calendar starts in February with the playing of the Lake County One Man Scramble.
