Steinberg Eyes Amateur Golf Championship : Van Nuys Optometrist Advances to Quarterfinals; Greene Loses in 2nd Match

Craig Steinberg of Van Nuys advanced to the quarterfinals of the 78th California Golf Assn. Amateur Championship on the Monterey Peninsula on Wednesday, but 42-year-old Buz Greene of Thousand Oaks was eliminated in the afternoon after winning his morning match.

Steinberg, 31, an optometrist with a practice in Studio City, defeated John Adams of Costa Mesa, 2 and 1, in the opening round of match play at Pebble Beach. He came back to post a 5-and-4 victory over Earl Morley Jr. of Los Angeles in the afternoon to make it into today’s quarterfinals.

“It wasn’t too tough of a match in the morning,” Steinberg said. “I didn’t play very well, but I was 2-over-par after nine holes and was still two (holes) up. I just stayed there until it was over.

“In the afternoon I started putting real well and that saved me.”

Steinberg will play Tom Kennaday of Pacific Grove, a member of Cal’s golf team.

The semifinals will be played this afternoon and the 36-hole championship match is scheduled for Friday.

Steinberg advanced to the quarterfinals of the state amateur last year but lost his next match to Bob Marten of Alamo. Steinberg, who played for four years at USC, is the 1988 Southern California Amateur champion.

Greene, who shot a 69 on Monday to lead all golfers in the first round of medal play, stumbled to a 78 on Tuesday and made the 32-man match play field by just one stroke. On Wednesday, he started strongly and defeated 48-year-old Roly LaMontagne of Stockton, 1-up. Greene was 1-over-par on the front nine but still was ahead, 2-up. He lost the 10th hole to LaMontagne and won the 11th, then won the 13th hole with a bogey to go 3-up.

LaMontagne came back on the 14th hole with an eagle and won the 17th hole with a par to cut Greene’s lead to 1-up. But both parred the 18th hole, giving Greene the narrow victory.

In his afternoon match, Greene was beaten, 3-and-2, by Kennaday.

In other quarterfinal matches Casey Boyns of Pacific Grove faces Fresno State All-American David Sutherland; Pat Duncan of Rancho Santa Fe faces Dave Stockton Jr., an All-American from USC and son veteran PGA player Dave Stockton; and Jack Spradlin of San Diego will take on Ben Furth of San Francisco. All remaining matches will be played at Pebble Beach.

Boyns, 33, made it to the quarterfinals by defeating Steve Clark of Long Beach and Steve Bogan of Los Angeles.