SOUTHERN SECTION INDIVIDUAL GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS : Lee Tops Hart’s Miller in Sudden Death for Title

When Mike Miller’s surname appeared on the pairings sheet for the Southern Section individual golf championships at Mission Hills Resort on Monday, it was misspelled.

And it wasn’t even close: Nuller.

“I think that when the league rep turned in the names from our league he wrote them in felt-tip pen,” said Dennis Ford, Miller’s coach at Hart High. “I think it must have smeared or something.”

For most of the afternoon, Miller’s name--correctly spelled and in capital letters--was perched at the top of the leader board with a two-under 68. But it was smudged once again when diminutive Eddy Lee of Corona finished with a late 68 and defeated Miller in a playoff to win the individual title.

Lee, a freshman, defeated Miller on the second hole of sudden death, the 165-yard, par-three 16th. After both players missed the green with their tee shots, Miller appeared to have gained the upper hand when Lee’s chip shot came up 10 feet short of the flagstick. Miller was faced with an uphill four-foot putt. Lee, however, drained his and Miller’s putt missed high.

“My putter saved me all day,” said the 5-foot-6, 125-pound Lee, who turned 15 today.

Miller’s round was more consistent. The 6-foot junior hit an astounding 16 greens in regulation, posted his 68 and stood back and waited for the pack to come to him.

About an hour later, Lee did.

“I never played here before,” Miller said. “I’ve been hitting my driver really well, so I just tried to hit it down the middle.”

Sound thinking, but easier said than done.

Designed by noted architect Pete Dye--as in diabolical--the 3 1/2-year-old course features all of the trappings that make Dye’s layouts as tough as they come: deep pot bunkers, severely undulating fairways and greens, railroad ties at every turn and acres of water.

Regaining lost shots was complicated further by the course’s length (6,706 yards) and its dearth of par-five holes (two).

Miller’s teammate at Hart, sophomore Jason Gore, shot 74 and also finished among a group of 26 players who advance to the California Interscholastic Federation/Southern California Golf Assn. finals June 11 at El Caballero Country Club in Tarzana.

Dan Jennings of St. Francis--a senior who is playing his first season on the golf team after spending his first three years of high school playing baseball--was third at 69. Jennings, who will play next season at Arizona, shot 33 on the back nine and was the only player other than Miller and Lee to break par.

Westlake’s Charlie Wi, who missed tying for first place last season by one shot and was considered a pre-tournament favorite, finished sixth at 72.

At last week’s Southern Section team tournament in Palm Springs, Wi shot a three-under 69 to lead all players.

Tim Murphy of Agoura was the only other player from the region to advance to the finals, and he did it after shooting a 76 and surviving a 17-man playoff for the final seven tournament berths.