Junior Amateur Golf : Bill Moore Takes Lead by 4 Shots

Some of the best junior golfers in California walked into the scorer’s room at the Fairbanks Ranch Country Club Monday afternoon and simply sighed. Some mumbled and grumbled about the hard greens, and others were just plain tired after playing 36 holes in one day and not being able to get their games together.

A look at the leader board in the California Junior Amateur Championship for boys under 18 explained why everybody was disgusted.

Not a single golfer was under par.

Bill Moore, who leads the tournament, was at one-over 145. And he leads by four strokes.

Unquestionably, it was not an easy day for anyone.

Moore, 17, of Sacramento made his way around the Fairbanks Ranch course in the morning to the tune of a three-over 75. He came back in the afternoon to shoot a 70 in the second round. It was the best round of the day. Bill Jacobson of Newport Beach was second with 75-74 for a 149 total.

“I didn’t play very well at all,” Moore said. “It was tough out there.”

And that comment came from the leader.

“I’m surprised I’m leading,” he added. “I’m even more surprised I’m leading by four shots.”

The reason Moore leads is because he was able to escape from trouble better than anyone else Monday. During his second round of play, Moore twice birdied holes on which he’d been in sand traps.

He was one-under-par with five holes to play but bogeys at No. 5 (Moore’s 14th) and No. 9 sent him over par.

“It always seems that when I’m playing well, I finish poorly,” Moore said. “Instead of trying to get more birdies, I start trying just to make par. That’s when I start making bogeys.”

Still, Moore finds himself in a good position heading into today’s final round.

Players other than Jacobson in possible contention are John Curtis of Novato and Mike Donnelly of Thousand Oaks, both at 150.

Pat Patterson of Oceanside was the top San Diego-area golfer Monday. He shot 151.

Other than Moore’s second-round 70 only two other golfers posted under-par rounds. Donnelly shot a 71 in the second round and Phil Huff of Portola Valley had a 71 to take the first-round lead. Huff, however, suffered a 10-over-par 82 in the second round to fall eight shots back.