Lindley learns fast

Bryce Alderton

Brian Lindley joined Newport Beach Country Club in April, but it

didn’t take too long for him to add his name to the club’s history

books.

Lindley, a Corona del Mar resident, carded a 2-over-par 286 for

four rounds on the par-71 layout to win his first men’s club

championship at the course, completed June 12 -- in wire-to-wire

fashion.

Lindley (68-70-76-72 -- 286) burst to a sizable lead at the

outset, shooting 4-under in the first two rounds to build an

advantage too great for other golfers to overcome.

The Estancia High product grew up playing Mesa Verde Country Club

in Costa Mesa -- he won his other men’s club championship there in

1980 -- but hadn’t played Newport Beach Country Club since 1982

before joining in April.

“I practiced five or six full rounds [leading up to the

championship] and got to know the greens a bit,” said Lindley, 48, a

database manager for an investment firm. “I walked around the course

a few years during the Toshiba [Senior Classic], so I knew what it

was like. That was a really big bonus.”

Lindley, runner-up in the 1981 United States Amateur, shot 74 in a

local qualifying round for this year’s U.S. Open at Newport Beach

Country Club.

Defending champion Jeff Wright finished second (80-75-71-73 --

299) followed by Steve Rausch (75-73-79-74 -- 301), John Robison (80-74-76-75 -- 305), Chad Embry (76-73-79-81 -- 309), John Rapillo

(75-75-81-82 -- 313) and Haesung Lee (82-75-78-80 -- 315).

Rausch won the senior flight, for golfers 55 and older, with his

first two rounds (75-73 -- 148). Bob Kraft (152 total) placed second,

but won the super senior (65 and older) flight over Jim Keane (75-82

-- 157).

Lindley, along with Newport Beach residents Don DuBois, Michael

Walker and Steve Conway, and Charles Kavanaugh of Shady Canyon Golf

Club, all competed Monday and Tuesday at the California Golf

Association Amateur championship at Poppy Hills Golf Course on the

Monterey Peninsula.

DuBois, a member at Big Canyon Country Club, was the only one of

the Newport-Mesa quartet who reached the beginning of match play

today at historic Pebble Beach Golf Links. DuBois, the 2003

stroke-play medalist at this event, shot 71-74 at par-72 Poppy Hills

before carding a 2-under 70 Wednesday at Pebble Beach to finish the

54-hole stroke-play portion at 1-under 215 and tied for fourth.

Jordan Cox, 17, earned medalist honors with a 4-under 212.

The original field of 156 golfers was trimmed to 60 following the

first two rounds and was cut to 32 after play Wednesday.

The first of three days of match play begins today at Pebble

Beach, culminating in a 36-hole championship round Saturday. DuBois

reached the second round of match play last year.

Lindley (75-77 -- 152) was one of 11 players vying for the final

five of 60 spots after play Tuesday, but missed advancing. Kavanaugh

(73-81 -- 154), Walker (74-82 -- 156) and Conway (86-80 -- 166)

rounded out the Newport-Mesa contingent.Rausch and Lindley’s

victories make them eligible for this year’s Jones Cup, scheduled

Aug. 30 at Santa Ana Country Club.

Lindley said he will be in town and is looking forward to helping

Newport Beach Country Club defend its crown.

Kraft’s victory makes him the first golfer to win all three club

championships (men’s, senior and super senior) at Newport Beach

Country Club since the super senior division was added three years

ago, head professional Paul Hahn said.

*

Seven players advanced from qualifying and will join defending

champion Bill Welch as Santa Ana Country Club’s men’s club

championship concludes this weekend.

Chris Veitch, the club’s senior champion, carded the low score

after 36 holes of qualifying (77-73 -- 150) Saturday and Sunday. Bill

Fossatti, Ed Rochford, Dave Bock, Duane Hastings, Steve Tully and

Dave Lehnertz all advanced to Friday’s match-play round.

The matches will be: Fossatti, a two-time champion, versus Welch;

Rochford versus Bock, Veitch, a four-time winner, versus Hastings and

Tully versus Lehnertz. Winners from Friday will play an 18-hole

semifinal matches Saturday followed by the 36-hole final Sunday.