San Diego County Open : Amateur Gorman Wins Title, but Jones Gets Prize Money

Amateur Bryan Gorman and three-year pro Ted Lehmann started the final round of the San Diego County Open golf championship Monday at the Cottonwood Country Club two shots apart.

Gorman, a 23-year-old player from Chula Vista, led Lehmann, the tournament’s defending champion. But most of the gallery expected the experience of the professional to take over down the stretch.

It didn’t work out that way. In fact, it didn’t even come close.

Gorman shook off the pressure to shoot a final-round three-under-par 69 on the Ivanhoe Golf Course. His four-round total of 17-under 274 gave him a six-shot victory.

Lehmann, meanwhile, just got shook up. The 26-year-old from Woodranch near Thousand Oaks, suffered on the front nine and on the back, finishing with an eight-over-par 80 for the day and 287 for the tournament.

With Lehman out of the way and the amateur, Gorman, out of site, the pro title was left to Dirk Jones, who shot a five-under 31 on the back nine to finish at 280, one shot ahead of five golfers at 281.

Afterward, Lehmann he sipped on a beer and almost laughed about what had happened to him.

“You always have to be able to accept what happens to you,” Lehmann said. “I know that I’ll win more tournaments in my life, and I know I’ll shoot 80 again.”

Gorman, who was nearby doing media interviews, was impressed by Lehmann’s attitude.

When someone asked Gorman if he would soon turn pro because of Monday’s victory, he said: “When I can handle a bad round of golf like Lehmann handled it, I’ll turn pro.”

Gorman referred to the par-4, 434-yard 16th hole to underscore his point.

There, Gorman hit his tee shot to the right side of the fairway where it bounced in, and luckily out of, a water hazard.

“That was a plain dumb shot,” Gorman said. “No matter if you have a big lead or not, you just don’t want to hit your tee shot to the right.”

Gorman ended up with a par on the hole. What had happened to him was nothing compared to the plight of Lehmann.

Already flustered because of a series of poor bounces and poor putts, Lehmann hit a fairway shot that bounced off a tree and went out of bounds.

What he did next impressed his playing partner, Gorman. “All he did was walk over to the bag and get a new ball,” Gorman said. “That’s something I don’t know if I’d be able to do.”

And, therein lies to reason, Gorman said, that he will remain an amateur at least for another year.

“It doesn’t even matter that I won this tournament,” Gorman said. “Of course, I’m happy, but there are still things I need to learn.”

Still, though, the temptation to turn pro is ever present. After the tournament, Gorman was presented with a money clip as a token of his victory.

Tournament officials then presented the winner’s check of $6,000 to Jones, the pro with the lowest score.

A bogey by Gary Griggs and a double bogey by Vic Wilk, both on 18, allowed Jones to claim the pro title. When he received the check, he had a message for Gorman.

“I just want to thank Bryan for not turning pro yet,” Jones said.

Gorman smiled. He knows he still has a long way to go.