THE YEAR IN REVIEW : A Look Ahead, Behind : Many Struggled Through ‘88, but Near Year Offers Hope : MISCELLANY

With apologies to David Letterman, we offer lists detailing what happened in 1988 and, in some cases, how 1988 will impact 1989 .

Everything else you wanted to know about but were afraid to ask:

1. A Pair for Pate.

Steve Pate thought San Diego was a great golf town.

On windy Sunday Jan. 17, after three delays because of rain and one because of hail, the Tournament of Champions was called off, and Pate was declared the winner after 54 holes at La Costa. Pate was awarded the $90,000 first prize for his 14-under-par score of 202, one stroke better than Larry Nelson.

On Feb. 21, Pate sank a 6-foot putt for a birdie on the final hole for a 1-stroke victory over Jay Haas in the Shearson Lehman Hutton Andy Williams Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course. Pate became only the second golfer to win the San Diego double--the T of C and the Andy Williams. (Tom Watson did it in 1980.) Pate’s putt gave him a final round of 68 and a 72-hole total of 19-under par 269.

Pate also will be the last Andy Williams winner. After a 21-year affiliation, the Century Club of San Diego announced Nov. 22 that Williams has ended his involvement as host of the tournament. It will now be known as the Shearson Lehman Hutton Open.

2. The meet belongs to Olympians.

A host of track and field stars showed up at the Michelob Invitational outdoor track meet in June.

Double Olympic gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee took just three long jumps. Two were fouls, but her first--24 feet 3 inches--was just 2 1/2 inches short of her American record. After competing, Joyner-Kersee attended the wedding of UCLA’s Gail Devers, formerly of Sweetwater, and Ron Roberts, a former Bruin distance runner.

Florence Griffith Joyner--Flo Jo--gave an indication of Olympic glory to come, winning the 100 meters in 10.89 seconds.

Mary Decker Slaney had an easy time in the 2,000 meters, winning in 5 minutes 36.35 seconds. Ramona Pagel became the first American woman to surpass 20 meters in the shot put with a throw of 66-2 1/2.

3. And the rest of the story.

--Joan Hansen, a Solana Beach distance runner, decided not to try to compete in her second Olympics in 1988, opting instead to help start the San Diego National Athletes Fund, a nonprofit corporation designed to raise money for local athletes in training. In ‘84, Hansen ran in the 3,000-meter race with Mary Decker. Both fell, but few knew about Hansen because of the controversy surrounding Decker, who didn’t finish. Hansen did, placing eighth.

--Major League Volleyball was a major league bust in May. Just 254 fans showed up for a match between the New York Liberties and the Chicago Breeze. The Breeze won. The MLV lost. The paltry attendance figures didn’t entice San Diego investors to support a team here.

--In June, it was announced that San Diego State and USD would not play each other in men’s basketball for the first time in 9 years. The rivalry was put on hold for a year because the two schools could not agree on a date.

--An estimated 3,000 athletes descended on San Diego to participate in 13 sports at 25 venues in the inaugural California State Games in mid July.

--In the men’s open division championship of the 35th Over-the-Line tournament at Fiesta Island July 17, the Beachcomber team of Steve Miner, Billy Bright and John Torchia came out of the loser’s bracket to defeat the Pennant Pups for the title.

--Christy Erb of Bonita and Kevin Kemp of Greensboro, N.C. won the girls’ and boys’ 15-17 divisions of the Optimist Junior World Golf Championships at Torrey Pines July 22.

--With 8 seconds to play and the game tied, 14-14, Torrey Pines fullback Tim Walker kicked a 39-yard field goal to give the San Diego Section All-Stars a 17-14 victory over the Los Angeles City Section team at Mesa College July 30.

--Roger Gunn of Napa won the Buie San Diego County Open with a 6-under-par-66 on the North Course at Torrey Pines Aug. 5.

--Stephanie Rehe breezed by Ann Grossman, 6-1, 6-1, to win the Virginia Slims of San Diego singles title Aug. 7.

--Some top names were missing Aug. 12, but after a 4-year hiatus, the NBA returned to the San Diego Sports Arena for an all-star game that included former Aztec Michael Cage and Morse High alumnus Cliff Levingston (35 points, MVP).

--A local all-star team returned home in mid August after winning the International Boys’ Baseball Friendship Tournament in Bejing, China.

--Mike Dodd, who attended SDSU, and Tim Hovland won $50,000 in the Cuervo Gold Crown volleyball series Sept. 17 at Mission Bay’s Mariner’s Point.

--Two drivers in the championship race of the Miller High Life Thunderboat Regatta at Mission Bay Sept. 18 escaped serious injury when the turbine/jet-powered hydroplanes boats they were racing flipped over and broke apart after being launched by a gust of wind.

--Wayne Gretzky had a goal and an assist for the Los Angeles Kings, who lost, 5-4, to the Winnipeg Jets in an exhibition before a sellout crowd of 13,155 at the Sports Arena Sept. 27.

--Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut was the first gymnast inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in Oceanside on Oct. 12.

--Rockers Bobby Blotzer of Ratt, “Motor City Madman” Ted Nugent and Tommy Lee of Motley Crue finished 1-2-3 in the Dodge International Star Challenge car race on Oct. 22 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. The next day, Tom Hessert won the championship race of the Camel Grand Prix of Southern California.

--Former world record-holder and 2-time Olympian Tom Petranoff of Oceanside, along with several other track and field athletes, was suspended indefinitely by The Athletics Congress for participation in a series of meets in South Africa. TAC serves as the U.S. agent of the International Amateur Athletic Federation, which does not sanction meets in South Africa because of that government’s official policy of racial separation.