Junior Golf Championships to Begin

Players representing 27 countries and 36 states will be in San Diego starting today for the 18th annual Optimist Junior World Golf Championships.

The four-day event will be staged in eight classes on five courses throughout the county.

Neil Simms of Honolulu, last year’s runner-up, is among the favorites in the boys’ 15-17 division which will be played today through Friday at the Torrey Pines North Course. The top qualifiers in the division with scores of 66, Will Tipton of Fresno and Ken Tanigawa of Modesto, are also among the favorites.

Meanwhile, Barbara Koosa of Columbus, S.C, the leading qualifier at 73, is among the favorites in the girls’ 15-17 on Torrey Pines’ South course. Summer Lee, the 1978 and 1979 10-and-under champion, is considered one of the San Diego’s brightest hopes.

In the 13-14 divisions, to be played today through Thursday at Balboa Golf Course, last year’s winners in the 11-12 division, Brian Kontak of Phoenix and Leta Lindley of Oceanside, are among the favorites.

This year’s 11-12 boys’ and girls’ championships will be played at the Mission Bay golf course while the 10-and-under crown will be decided at Presidio Hills.