Waldorf’s Top Goal Is an NCAA Title for UCLA

A big, powerful man capable of belting a golf ball 300 yards and more, James Joseph (Duffy) Waldorf envisions a long career as a professional golfer, but first there is another matter demanding his attention.

“I want to win the NCAA team championship for UCLA,” Waldorf said. “I have my whole life to play golf for myself, but I feel this is my last year as a member of a team. If individual honors come along, that’s fine, but first I want to go out of UCLA in a blaze of glory. And that means bringing home the school’s first NCAA championship.”

The NCAA tournament is May 20-26 at Grenelefe, Fla. UCLA, with nine tournament wins in 16 outings, is ranked No. 2 behind Houston.

Waldorf has won five collegiate tournaments this year, including the Western Intercollegiates last week at Pasatiempo Country Club in Santa Cruz, one of the most prestigious college events on the West Coast. His other wins were the Pacific Coast Intercollegiates, San Diego State Aztec Invitational, the Americana Golf Tournament at Lake Geneva, Wis., and the Tucker Invitational at Albuquerque, N.M.

“Duffy has unbelievable, unlimited potential,” says UCLA Coach Eddie Merrins. “He has strength, health and a natural swing. More important, he has good knowledge of the swing. He’s a good athlete with an even disposition suited to professional golf.”

Waldorf began playing golf when he was 9, but he has been Duffy longer than that. His father, a Glendale lawyer, began calling him that because “he said I looked like a duffy.”

At Taft High in Woodland Hills, Waldorf was a fullback and linebacker in football, a third baseman in baseball, threw the shot in track and was a member of the golf team that won two City championships.

“I wanted to play football in the Ivy League,” said Waldorf, who is a great-great nephew of the late Cal football coach, Pappy Waldorf. “When I didn’t get accepted, I decided to concentrate on golf. I didn’t have a big junior career so I wasn’t heavily recruited. When I was offered a partial scholarship to UCLA, I took it.”

Before enrolling at UCLA, Waldorf’s major achievement was finishing second to Derek Goldstein in the L.A. City prep championship tournament.

Last summer his career took off. After being named a third-team college All-American, Waldorf won the California State Amateur, the Broadmoor Invitational in Colorado Springs, the Southern California Public Links championship for the third year in a row, and the Long Beach and Simi Valley amateurs.

This summer he will defend his State Amateur title, attempt to qualify for the U.S. Amateur and hopefully play in the Walker Cup before turning professional.

“I know I have the ability to play professionally. My only worry is being prepared for a one-week shot at the qualifying school.”

During the L.A. Open, in which he was low amateur, Waldorf hit a drive of 310 yards on the uphill 18th hole.

Russell Clarke, a former pro at Calabasas, Waldorf’s home club, was a member of his threesome.

“You learn to be humble playing Duffy,” Clarke said. “Duffy hits it so far it’s like he hits it in another time zone. I thought I was fairly long off the tee but he hits it 50 yards by me when he wants to.”

Golf Notes

Two major local women’s tournaments are next month. The 62nd annual L.A. City championships are May 16-17 at Griffith Park, followed by the California Women’s Amateur championship May 20-24 at La Cumbre CC in Santa Barbara. . . . Chris Robinson, winner of the L.A. City Junior Boys championship, turned 17 the day the tournament started and is a junior at Highland High in Bakersfield. . . . Bob Clark, 1969 NCAA champion from Cal State Los Angeles, has been named honorary chairman of the seventh annual Michelob-Golden Eagle tournament April 15 at Via Verde CC, a fund-raiser for the CSLA athletic program.

Shadowridge CC in Vista, which has been one of San Diego’s most popular public courses, will become private June 1. . . . The city of Cerritos is holding a charity tournament April 22 at Lakewood CC to benefit the California Special Olympics. . . . The Golden State Tour’s annual spring championship is Monday and Tuesday at Soboba Springs CC in San Jacinto. Bear Creek CC in Elsinore is holding a pro-senior amateur event April 22. Pros of the Golden State Tour play a 54-hole tournament April 24-26 at Los Serranos.

The California Coastal Commission has given the go-ahead for the controversial Spanish Bay project on the Monterey peninsula. The $125-million project includes a St. Andrews-style course and a hotel. . . . The 4th annual NFL Alumni charity tournament is April 29 at Oakmont CC. . . . Cal State Dominguez Hills is ranked fifth and CS Northridge eighth in NCAA Division II. Columbus, Ga., College, is No. 1.