Less Worth More for Duncan : He Gets a Round, and That Makes Him a Top Local Golfer

Pat Duncan is an anomaly. He’s a no-tie guy in a button-down community. He sacrifices greater success in his landscape contracting business because he prefers to spend time in the field. And he’s arguably the finest amateur golfer in the county--but he usually plays just one round a week.

So if you are one of those people who take lessons a couple times a week, hit range balls as often as you can find time and throw in a few rounds to keep your game sharp, then you don’t want to meet Pat Duncan.

“I don’t play a lot,” Duncan said. “Once a week, on Sundays. A lot of guys don’t believe it, but my friends know it’s true.”

What also is true is that Duncan, 33, has consistently been a dominant force in area amateur golf.

Duncan is shooting to become the first golfer since Tommy Johnson (1947-49) to win three consecutive San Diego amateur titles. Duncan won in 1984, finished third in 1985 and won in 1987 and 1988. He didn’t play in 1986 because the tournament field was filled by the time he got his application in.

After two rounds of the 57th annual tournament, Duncan is two shots behind the leaders with 36 holes remaining. Craig Anderson and Robert Dickinson lead at two-under-par 142.

The third round of the championship flight is Saturday at Balboa Golf Course beginning at 6 a.m. The final round is Sunday at Torrey Pines South.

The city championships haven’t been the only successes for Duncan, who has also built a reputation for dressing for comfort rather than style. It is not unusual to see Duncan playing with his shirttail exposed, a significant fashion statement in a sport that takes manicuring to another level.

Duncan was one of four amateurs to qualify last year for the U.S. Open, where he missed the cut with an 82-75. He has twice qualified for the annual PGA event at Torrey Pines, missing the cut last year and finishing 50th in 1986.

That he has had so much success after putting so little time into the sport brings up the question of why Duncan has never tried to turn pro.

“I’d have to be a lot better than I am now,” Duncan said. “You have to dominate, kind of like I did last year.

“A guy like (Craig) Stadler has me beat in every department. To do something like that, you have to be good and want to win. And to know that there are a hundred guys out there as good as he is--it’s scary.”

It seemed for a while that Duncan was headed for the PGA Tour.

He started playing with his mother in the nine-hole ladies group at Rancho Santa Fe Country Club when he was 8. At 12, he started playing junior golf.

He was one of the top high school players in the county at San Dieguito High School (All-San Diego Section as a junior) and had success in local junior tournaments playing against guys such as Scott Simpson and Mark Wiebe.

But his senior year of high school was one of turmoil.

“I just didn’t play,” Duncan said. “It was just stupidity more than anything. I could have got a scholarship and played in college. But it was too easy, plus being that good as a junior.

“I guess I hooked up with the wrong crowd. I started playing basketball. I actually quit that, too. I started out to do it, and I just didn’t follow through. I didn’t know what I wanted to do.”

Duncan graduated early from high school and went to UC Davis. He then took six months off at 18 to caddy on the pro tour.

“I wanted to see how much I may have liked (playing professionally),” Duncan said. “I said, ‘Whoa, this is not for me’--the life style, eating out of greasy spoons, all the traveling.”

What Duncan did find was that he wanted to be an agronomist, with an eye on becoming a golf course architect. But he soon decided against pursuing golf course architecture because of all the travel.

He eventually left Davis because of grades and transferred to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he concentrated on his studies. Duncan graduated with degrees in ornamental horticulture and pomology (the science and practice of fruit growing).

He started his landscaping business in Rancho Santa Fe, were he was born and raised. He, his wife, Linda, and their two children live at his mother’s house. And Duncan runs his moderately successful business.

“To be successful and make a lot of money at this business, you have to stay behind the desk with your nose in paper work and calling people,” Duncan said. “I like to be out in the field. I like to be involved with the projects and make sure everything is done right.”

Duncan is gaining a reputation for building private golf holes. He has built one for Stadler, who lives in Oceanside, and is currently working on a 120-yard hole at a residence in Rancho Santa Fe.

So, while he never tried to make a living playing golf, the sport is helping Duncan make a living.

“My success in my business is due to the relationships I’ve made in golf,” Duncan said. “It’s a great game.”