Golf / Rich Tosches : Leonard Earns Trip to Israel on U. S. Team

Jeff Leonard of Encino recently earned a berth on the United States team that will compete next July in Israel in the 13th Maccabiah Games. Leonard’s rounds of 77, 75 and 75 over the tough Doral Country Club course in Miami placed him third in the field of 69 Jewish amateur golfers.

Leonard, the three-time club champion at El Caballero Country Club in Tarzana, will compete with five U. S. teammates in the Maccabiah Games, which are held every four years.

European vacation: Ron Commans of Westlake Village shot a very respectable round of 71 to begin last week’s Scandinavian Open in Stockholm, but when Craig Parry of Australia came in with a 64 and three others shot opening-round scores of 65, Commans knew he was in for another in a long series of not-very-rewarding finishes on the European Tour.

He shot a 72 in the second round and made the cut, but trailed the leader by 13 strokes. When he thrashed his way to a 6-over-par 78 on Saturday, he knew there would be no mad dashes to the bank Monday morning to deposit a check. He shot a 70 on Sunday and finished 21 shots behind the winner, Seve Ballesteros.

Playoff payoff: Emilee Klein of Tarzana, one of the most highly regarded juniors in Southern California, shot a 79 and won the Memorial Tournament at the Hacienda Golf Club last week on the first hole of sudden death.

Klein, who plays out of the Braemar Country Club, defeated Heidi Voorhees in the playoff.

Sparky: Wood Ranch Country Club in Simi Valley will be the site of the 9th Sparky Anderson/Cal Lutheran Golf Classic, a fund-raiser for the university’s baseball program, on Nov. 7.

Anderson, the Detroit Tigers’ manager and longtime resident of Thousand Oaks, collects autographed baseballs and bats during the season and the items are put on auction after the golf tournament. The event has raised more than $80,000 since its inception in 1979.

In addition to Anderson, sports celebrities who have made regular appearances at the tournament include Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax.

Information: 805-493-3151.

Corporate play: Braemar Country Club has assembled a five-man team to play in the Club Corporation of America national tournament in Pinehurst, N. C., Sept. 14-18. Leading the team will be head pro Mike Spayd. The others who qualified from a field of more than 100 members are Gerry Munroe, Mike Kulcsar, Mike Graver and Art Kushell.