Wi a Shot Short Again in State Qualifier

Woe is Wi.

A year ago, Charlie Wi of Thousand Oaks missed qualifying for the California Amateur Golf Championship by a stroke. Later in the year he missed qualifying for the U.S. Amateur Championship by a stroke.

So on Wednesday, you could not have blamed Wi for asking, ‘Why me?’

Wi, 18, a senior at Westlake High, had forced his way into a 13-man playoff for the six remaining berths in next month’s state amateur championship by shooting an even-par 71 on the North Course at Los Serranos Country Club in Chino. He had shot a 2-over 76 in Tuesday’s first round on the long and difficult par-74 South Course.

Five of the 13 golfers birdied the first playoff hole to nail down championship berths. And, when Wi birdied the second playoff hole, it eliminated all but one other golfer, Ray Navis of Solana Beach.

Wi and Navis then waged a furious two-hole battle for the sixth and final championship berth, with Navis sinking a seven-foot birdie putt on the fourth hole to clinch the last berth.

Wi’s reaction? Well, it should make every club-throwing, curse-flinging, foot-stomping golfer feel ashamed.

“There is no disappointment, none at all,” said Wi, smiling, as he walked back to the clubhouse after watching Navis drop the final putt. “I tried as hard as I can and I know I couldn’t do any better than I did.

“This is only a game. It is not life or death.”

But don’t think that Wi doesn’t want to win.

On the first playoff hole, after the five birdies were recorded and Wi had missed his birdie putt by an inch, four golfers still had makeable birdie putts to take the final berth.

All missed.

When the final golfer, Jonathan Levitt of Riverside, left his attempt short, Wi, who had been staring at the grass, unable to watch the putt, rose to his feet and let out a huge sigh.

On the second playoff hole, with eight golfers now competing for the final berth, Navis putted first and made a beautiful 20-footer for a birdie, placing enormous pressure on his rivals.

It was pressure that only Wi could withstand, as he quickly stepped up to his ball and rolled a 12-footer into the cup.

On the next hole, Wi’s second shot caught a greenside trap. Navis, meanwhile, had put his third shot to within 18 inches of the cup, a certain birdie awaiting him.

Wi, forced to play his shot with one foot out of the trap, responded again. He blasted out to within four feet and then sank the putt for his birdie, suddenly making Navis’ short putt appear longer.

But Navis made it.

On the fourth playoff hole, Wi put his second shot 20 feet from the pin and his chip was wide by three feet.

Navis had put his second shot to within six feet of the pin, and as he confidently stroked his birdie putt into the cup, Wi was already striding toward him, hand extended to congratulate him.

“It would have been nice to play in the state championship,” Wi said. “But I’ll get another chance. I’m young.”

A moment later, the president of the California Golf Assn., Jim House, approached Wi and, citing a new CGA rule, proved again this old adage: Good things come to Wi who wait.

“Charlie,” House said loudly, “unless the NCAA champion (to be determined early in June) is from Southern California, you’re in the championship as the first alternate. I’m 99.9% sure you’ll be playing.”

“See,” said a smiling Wi as House drove away. “Things usually work out.”