Southern California Championships : Greer (10 Under) Wins by 12 Shots

The only way the Southern California Amateur could have been interesting Sunday was to have Brad Greer falter and one of his challengers make a move.

Just the opposite happened.

Steve Bogan and Brian Mahon started the final round at the Virginia Country Club in Long Beach seven shots back of Greer, the defending champion. Bogan withdrew because of a family problem and Mahon shot a five-over-par 76.

Greer, who lives in Huntington Beach and plays out of the Mission Hills Country Club, shot 36-35--71 for a 72-hole total of 10-under-par 70-66-67-71--274 that shattered the tournament record by six strokes. His margin of victory, 12 shots over Mahon, a UCLA player from Rancho Bernardo, was the widest in the 86-year history of the tournament.

Going to the 72nd hole, Greer was even further in front, but he hit his tee shot out of bounds, took a triple bogey 8 and still won by 12 shots.

Last year he edged Sam Randolph on the final hole at San Gabriel.

“This wasn’t as much of a grind as last year, that’s for sure,” Greer said. “I guess it wasn’t very interesting, though. I tried to beat myself on the front side today, but then I turned it around and felt pretty good about the way I finished.

“Not the last hole, of course. I was pumped up and tried to get home in two (on the 534-yard par 5) and wheeled my drive OB.”

Greer, a big, strapping youngster of 24 who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 215 pounds, had just put together a string of four birdies in five holes to widen what had been an already ridiculous margin.

Since last year’s win, Greer has won the Golden State Tour amateur championship at Rainbow Canyon and finished second in the Santa Barbara City and California State amateurs. He lost to Randolph in the state final.

He is only the fifth player to win back-to-back championships, joining Paul Hunter (1908-09), Johnny Dawson (1944-45), Bruce McCormick (1947-48) and Jim Ferrie (l950-51). The last player to have won two SCGA titles was Ted Richards, who won in 1954 and 1961.

McCormick set the old tournament record of 280 in 1963 when two rounds were played at Los Angeles and two at Wilshire.

Greer, a senior at USC although he never played for the Trojans after having attended Golden West College and Cal State Long Beach, plans to turn pro after next month’s Pacific Coast Amateur at Los Angeles Country Club.

“I think I’m ready now,” Greer said. “I’ve learned to carry myself better on the course than I did last year. I’m not gambling as much and getting better results.”

Greer was the only player under par over the wooded, 6,431-yard Virginia course. The tournament, the oldest continuously contested golf event in the country, was played at Virginia because it is the home club of Southern California Golf Assn. President Bob Thompson.