Golf : Dana Lofland, 18, Wins Charles Curtis Award

For the first time since 1980, only one player, Dana Lofland of Oxnard, was selected for the Charles G. Curtis Award as the top junior golfer in Southern California. There have been multiple recipients the last four years.

Lofland, a sophomore at San Jose State, won the U.S. junior girls’ championship in Pittsburgh and the Junior World tournament in San Diego, and finished second in the PGA national junior tournament in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

The 5-foot 9-inch former Hueneme High School athlete beat out a strong group of candidates, including two of last year’s four recipients, Cathy Mockett of Newport Beach and Bobby May of Anaheim, as well as Tracy Nakamura of Monterey Park and Amy Fruhwirth of Cypress, runnerup to Lofland in the U.S. girls’ tournament.

Lofland, who turned 18 Sept. 16, began playing golf at age 10 under the coaching of Eddie Stiles in an Oxnard recreation department program. An all-around athlete, she also played soccer and won the California state championship in the Coca Cola “Go With Soccer” individual skills competition.

In high school, she quit soccer to concentrate on volleyball and golf. She was named All-Southern Section as a senior in volleyball and played three years on the golf team, which earned her a scholarship to San Jose State. As a freshman she played No. 2 on the team which ranked eighth in the country.

Although not a member of the club, Lofland tuned her game at the SeaBee Golf Club in Port Hueneme under pros Jim Ford and Chuck Green.

Last summer, she dominated girls’ golf. First, she won the Junior World title in a four-hole playoff with Jean Zedlitz of Pleasanton, Calif., at Torrey Pines. A month later, in the U.S. girls’, she was medalist by five shots with a 76-72--148 and defeated two of Southern California’s finest juniors, Nakamura and Fruhwirth, in her final two matches. After losing, 4 and 3, Fruhwirth said, “She played well, she deserved to win.”

Only the PGA junior remained for a clean sweep of the three most important junior championships. Lofland shot a final-round 70, the low round of the tournament, but missed by a stroke catching Zedlitz, who gained a measure of revenge for her overtime loss in the Junior World.

The late Charles Curtis, for whom the award is named, was executive sports editor and golf writer for the Los Angeles Times.

May and Nakamura earned the Ralph Miller Memorial Medal for high-point honors in the Junior Golf Assn. of Southern California.

Golf Notes

Julie Forrest, 21, of Temple City, will marry former Masters champion Ben Crenshaw, 33, Nov. 12, during the Kapalua International in Maui. They met two years ago at the Los Angeles Open, where they were introduced by pro Jerry Pate. . . . The PGA plans to have as many as 1,000 junior golfers at a clinic Oct. 9 during the PGA club professional tournament at La Quinta Hotel GC. The clinic will kick off a National School Development Program in cooperation with the National Golf Foundation and the National Assn. for Sport and Physical Education. . . . Beau Baugh, former Cal State Long Beach golfer and California CC assistant pro, recently won the South Florida PGA Open. Baugh is assistant pro at Delrey Beach Municipal GC.

What do Morris Hatalsky, Larry Rinker, Kikuo Arai, Mike Smith, D. A. Weibring, Bob Lohr, David Ogrin, Steve Pate, David Frost, Bobby Wadkins, Dave Barr and Wayne Grady have in common with Jack Nicklaus? They’ve all finished second in a PGA tour event this year. . . . A record 1,345 players entered the 31st U.S. senior amateur tournament, which will start Monday at Wild Dunes in South Carolina. Robert Rawlin of Dallas is defending champion. Eleven Southland seniors, including 1982 winner Alton Duhon of Griffith Park and Dick Runkle of Los Angeles CC, runnerup the last two years, qualified. Others are Robert Greene (Los Angeles CC), E. O. Lindquist (Tamarisk), Leo Kubiak (Bernardo Heights), Dick Lytle (Navy GC), Oneil Hadnott (Riviera), David Moore (Rancho Santa Fe), John Dahlgren (Brookside), John Richardson (El Niguel) and Dan Murray (Sierra La Verne).

William Bengeyfield, who was largely responsible for the beautiful condition of the Industry Hills courses when they were built, has been named to receive an award for outstanding service from the National Golf Foundation. . . . Carl Ross, founder of Lynx Precision Golf and president of the company for 14 years, has resigned but will remain with Zurn Corp., the parent company, as a consultant. John J. Carey is the new Lynx president. . . . The U.S. National Senior Open Golf Assn.’s fall tournament is set for Oct. 8-11 on three Reno courses. Bill Retchin, president of the association, is a former Riviera senior champion. . . . Gary Naylor and Joe Alonzo of Porter Valley won the ninth annual Highland Fling tournament at Mission Lakes. . . . Bob Weiss defeated Harry Cherroff on the second extra hole to win the Sepulveda senior championship at Encino.

Sam Randolph of USC and Scott Verplank of Oklahoma State, the last two U.S. amateur champions, will both play Oct. 14-15 in the eighth annual Southwestern Intercollegiate tournament at North Ranch CC in Westlake Village. Randolph is defending champion. . . . Wayne Tyni, 1984 L.A. City Section high school champion from Birmingham, will compete for Cal State Northridge in the Wolf Pack Classic, opening tournament of the 1985-86 season. The tournament will start Monday at Incline Village CC in Lake Tahoe. . . . Mark Caplow shot 76-76-74-74--300 and beat Jeff Leonard by a stroke for the El Caballero CC championship. . . . Jon Fiedler of Las Posas CC in Camarillo will represent the SoCal chapter in the PGA assistants’ tournament starting Wednesday in Brockton, Mass.

Blind golfer Chuck Mayo will play a hole with each foursome in the 11th annual Gladiators of Andres charity tournament Monday at Mountaingate CC for the benefit of the Braille Institute. . . . Regional qualifying for the PGA tour will be held Tuesday through Friday at Fort Washington GC in Fresno. For those who fail, or decided too late to enter, a second qualifier is scheduled Oct. 29-Nov. 1 at Desert Falls CC in Palm Desert. . . . Gary Dennis won his second straight Silver Lakes CC championship. The L.A. County fireman finished nine shots ahead of Jim Kenner. . . . Brian Chattaway and Richard Purcaro won the Los Serranos best-ball tournament in a three-way playoff with Darren Baker and Dave McMillan and former pitcher Burt Barkelew and Murl Collins.