Los Altos Golfer Bob May Comes Through in Playoff and Wins Southern Section Title

Junior Bob May of Los Altos High School, after near-misses each of the last two years, won the Southern Section individual golf title Monday, defeating John Johnson of Ventura Buena High on the second playoff hole at the California Country Club.

For May, who has played in professional tournaments such as the Los Angeles Open and the Andy Williams San Diego Open and who will soon try to qualify for the U.S. Open, the Southern Section award has been conspicuously absent from his trophy case.

May remedied that by overcoming inconsistent putting with text-book drives and a little luck, as Johnson, leading by three shots, bogeyed each of the last three holes and finished in a tie with May at par 72.

May didn’t have time to worry about his putting in the playoff. Johnson’s second shot on the first extra hole, the par-4, 465-yard fourth, left him within seven feet of the hole while May was settling for a par. But Johnson’s birdie putt went to the right, forcing a second playoff hole.

May’s drive on the par-3, 175-yarder, was once again perfect, landing 15 feet to the left of the flag. But Johnson “got over it a little” with his tee shot, which bounced over a sand trap and landed near a tree. Making matters worse for Johnson, the ball stuck in a depression in the ground.

Johnson then chipped short of the green, putted past the cup then putted back past the hole before finally settling for a double-bogey. May parred the hole, clinching the elusive title. He had finished second in 1984, then just missed a playoff and finished third last year.