San Diego Section Golf : Familiar Names Take Familiar Places at Top

Two familiar names are atop the leader board after the first round of the San Diego Section individual golf championships at Singing Hills Country Club’s 6,132-yard, par-71 Oak Glen Course.

Heading into today’s final round of the 36-hole tournament, two-time defending champion Harry Rudolph of La Jolla High School is at three-under 68, and Phil Mickelson of University of San Diego High School is one shot back.

Rudolph, a senior, was the first section golfer to win consecutive titles last year and will be trying to add a third. Mickelson, also a senior, will be trying to win his first section title.

Mickelson shot a 68 for a two-stroke lead after the first round last year, but he lost the lead and then the title on the 18th hole when he hooked his second shot on the par-5 hole.

Mickelson finished with a 73 and a 141 total. Rudolph, who set a section tournament record with a two-round 141 as a sophomore, shot 140 last year. Both marks were set on the Oak Glen Course.

Keith Sbarbaro of Poway and Justin Hicks of San Diego are tied for third at one-under 70, and David Thornton of Bonita Vista and Geoff Heath of Mt. Carmel are at 71.

Brothers Randy and Rick Rose of Fallbrook were tied at 72, along with Pat Patterson of Carlsbad. Six golfers were tied at two-over 73.

Thirty-six of the 100 golfers made the cut at 76 and will began teeing off at 6:52 this morning. The leaders will tee up at 7:55.

Carlsbad won the section team title Monday at the Rancho Bernardo Inn, and La Jolla was runner-up for the second consecutive year.

Six golfers from each of those two schools will automatically be included in the individual field at the Southern California championship tournament at the La Jolla Country Club on June 6. The top 10 golfers in the section individual championships, excluding Carlsbad and La Jolla team members, also advance to the Southern California championship.