Golf : State Amateur Event Appears Wide Open

The 75th California State Amateur, which will start Monday with qualifying rounds at Pebble Beach and Cypress Point, should be a wide-open tournament.

Sam Randolph, the defending champion and tournament medalist from Santa Barbara, will not be back to try for two in a row, since he turned professional last week to play in the Georgia-Pacific Atlanta event on the PGA Tour. The former USC star, who will also abdicate his U.S. Amateur title, was recently named College Golfer of the Year for the second straight time.

A collegian from Southern California has won the State Amateur for three straight years--Randolph in 1985, Duffy Waldorf of UCLA in 1984 and Kris Moe of San Diego State in 1983.

This year’s collegiate crop includes Greg Cesario of Arizona State, Greg Starkman and Bobby Lasken of UCLA, Pat Burke of Cal State Dominguez Hills, Ed Harper of USC, Paul Goydos of Cal State Long Beach and Eric Woods of UC Irvine.

Even though the marathon tournament calls for as many as 11 rounds in 7 days, a strong contingent of old-timers may surprise the youngsters.

Among them are Dick Runkle of Los Angeles, the 1985 Southern California Senior champion, twice a runner-up in the State Amateur and twice a runner-up in the U.S. Senior Amateur; Jim Myers of Oceanside, 41, a fire captain who won the Southern California Golf Assn. Tournament of Club Champions; Bernie LeBeau of Bakersfield, the Southern California Mid-Amateur champion; and Ted Lyford of Redlands, the State Amateur runner-up back in 1971.

Jim Lundstrom, 26, a biology teacher at L.A. Baptist High School in Sepulveda, will see if his magic is still working after his stunning victory in the Los Angeles City men’s tournament last week. Lundstrom chipped in from 40 feet for an eagle on No. 18 at Rancho Park, forcing a playoff with Larry Salk of Rancho, and then won on the third extra hole.

Lundstrom and Salk had finished 72 holes tied at 289, two strokes ahead of veteran Brian Gaddy of Annandale, who had a one-stroke lead going into the final round. Lundstrom not only eagled the 472-yard par-5 18th hole during the final round, he also eagled it in the previous round. Lundstrom had tied for second behind Bobby Lasken in the 1985 L.A. tournament and had finished second in the California Public Links test.

Two former State Amateur winners, Gary Vanier of Alameda and Joe Tamburino of San Jose, will lead the Northern California contingent.

Half of the 200-player field will play Pebble Beach on Monday and the other half will play Cypress Point. They will switch courses Tuesday and the field will be cut to the low 64 and ties for another 18 holes Wednesday at Pebble Beach. The low 32 survivors will continue with double rounds of match play Thursday and Friday to determine the finalists for Saturday’s 36-hole championship.

The annual North-South matches will start off the week-long Monterey Peninsula festivities today at Pebble Beach with the Northerners trying to avenge the loss of the most lopsided match in tournament history last year.

The Southern California team includes Runkle, Myers, LeBeau, Steve Bogan of Placentia, Art Butler of Glendora, Pat Duncan of Rancho Santa Fe, Bryan Gorman of Chula Vista, John Pate of Solvang, Craig Steinberg of Van Nuys and Mitch Voges of Simi Valley.

The State high school tournament will also be held today in conjunction with the North-South matches. The boys’ field includes Mike Swingle of San Diego Grossmont, Chris Robinson of Bakersfield Highland, Chris Gonzales of Montebello Schurr and Scott Schrader of Fountain Valley. In the girls’ match will be Christy Erb, 15, of San Diego, and Brandie Burton, 14, of Rialto.

Golf Notes Winning her second L.A. City women’s championship so inspired Jennifer Steiner that the 22-year-old Palos Verdes golfer decided to turn professional. Steiner, who also won in 1984, shot 72-73-74--219 at Rancho Park to win by six strokes over Judy Greco of Recreation Park. . . . The 15th annual SoCal Women’s Masters tournament will be July 7-8-9 at Alta Vista CC, California CC and Industry Hills. Jody Martin Culp of Candlewood is defending champion. . . . The GNA/Glendale Federal LPGA tournament, which was almost washed away last March, will return to Oakmont CC next year, according to executive director Don Andersen. . . . Harold Rebal and George Riskas of Western Hills won the Los Serranos Invitational, but one shot back were two players better known for their tennis: Jack Kramer and Ted Schroeder. . . . Peter James shot a 75 at Riviera and won the fifth annual Verbum Dei tournament. Low-net winner was Martin May. The event raised more than $15,000 for the south central L.A. high school.

A memorial fund in the memory of Dorothy Royce Stimpson, of Rancho Santa Fe, has been established by the U.S. Golf Assn. at Far Hills, N.J. Stimpson was a member of the USGA Women’s and Senior Women’s championship committees and served on the board of directors of the Women’s SoCal Golf Assn. A winner of numerous Rancho Santa Fe CC club championships, she was also co-owner of the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe. . . . The Kings’ Dave Taylor will make the switch from hockey to golf Monday in a charity tournament for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation at Industry Hills. . . . Marge Callahan of South Pasadena defeated Ann Langstroth of La Canada by a stroke in winning the Brookside GC championship in Pasadena. Mimi Thornton and Margaret Uber were flight winners.

Qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Amateur is June 30 at Rancho Santa Fe, with the winners going to the NCR Club in Kettering, Ohio, for the championship July 10-13. . . . Also June 30 will be Pasadena City College’s athletic department fund raiser at Brookside GC. . . . The California Left-Handed Golfers’ tournament will be played next Saturday and Sunday at Paso Robles CC. Mike Callahan of Pomona is the new SoCal Lefties president. . . . Free instruction for juniors will be given this week at Rancho Park, Sepulveda and Hansen Dam courses during Junior Golf Week. Lessons will be given from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Tuesday through Thursday at Rancho, 9 to 11 a.m., Monday through Wednesday at Sepulveda and 10 to noon Tuesday through Thursday at Hansen Dam. . . . Hal Foster, 73, has shot his age or better five times this year at the Griffith Park courses, including a 72 in the May sweeps when he outscored a group of much younger players from the back tees at Wilson.