San Diego County Open Golf : Swartz’s Luck Better This Time at Torrey Pines

The last time Mike Swartz played the Torrey Pines Golf Course, he was 15 years old and competing in the Junior World Tournament.

“I shot like 160 in two days, and they told me to go home, ‘You got a lot of work to do,’ ” Swartz, 25, said.

He won’t have to wait so long between rounds at Torrey Pines anymore. He will be invited back next year as the defending champion of the $40,000 Buie San Diego County Open.

Swartz, who is from Phoenix, shot a 67 Friday to finish with a 54-hole total of 11-under-par 205 and win by five strokes over Aaron Meeks of Walnut. Swartz, who earned $4,500, entered the final round tied with Brad Bell at 138 and three shots ahead of a pack of eight. Bell, of Sacramento, shot a five-over 77 to finish at 215.

Thanks in part both to a timely visit to a pro and a 25-foot birdie putt on the par-four fifth hole Friday, Swartz got back on track after struggling on the Golden State Tour recently.

After winning two tournament stops in May, Swartz missed the cut in two June tournaments and wasn’t playing well. He decided to take a week off and seek some advice on his swing from a pro in Phoenix.

“I only know his first name,” Swartz said. “I didn’t play last week and just worked hard on my swing. But that doesn’t mean you’re going to do well.”

It did this time, resulting in his rounds of 68, 70 and 67 here.

It didn’t look as if Swartz would finish with the tournament’s best round after the first four holes Friday. Swartz was one over after bogeying the par-four fourth hole. But his fortunes changed quickly with the 25-foot birdie putt that brought him back to even.

“That was big,” said Swartz. “That really helped turn things around. Especially with the par-five, which is a birdie hole, coming up.”

Swartz followed one birdie with another on the par-five sixth. He also birdied Nos. 8, 9 and 10 to get to four under for the day, 10 under for the tournament. The five birdies in six holes kept him ahead of Meeks, who had started the day three back but also was four under for his round at the time.

“There’s a lot of pressure when you start off in the final round,” Swartz said. “I made the birdie on six and then the one on eight and I was feeling pretty good by then. I felt like I was in good control then.”

Bell, meanwhile, had three-putted to double bogey the fourth and finished the front nine two shots back. He had even more trouble on the back side, bogeying 14 and 16 and double-bogeying 15.

The first place money put Swartz over $35,000 for the season. Not bad for a mini-tour year.

“It’s tough to make money on the mini-tour,” Swartz, said. “I made $20,000 last year, and that’s better than a lot of guys. You break even out here, and you’re doing pretty good.”

Randy Drake of Glendora had a fruitful vacation, shooting a 71 to win the amateur portion of the tournament with a 214. Drake is no stranger to his professional counterparts. He played at Cal State Fullerton and in a few mini-tour events before he decided to take a job working for an electrical contractor .

“It’s nice to get that regular paycheck,” Drake said.

Patrick Duncan of Rancho Santa Fe (301) finished 16 strokes behind the leader and Jerry Michaels of Vista (308) 23 behind at the 23rd Pacific Coast Amateur Championship in San Francisco.

The tournament was won by 40-year-old Randy Sonnier of Woodlands, Tex., who shot a one-over-par 285. He shot a three-under 68 Friday on the 6,808-yard, par-71 Lake Course at The Olympic Club with a 68. He came from four strokes off the third-round pace to win by two.