Oakmont’s Budke Leads City Golf by Two Strokes

Mary Budke of Oakmont Country Club has a two-stroke lead entering the final round today in the Los Angeles City Women’s Golf Championships at Rancho Park Golf Course.

After shooting a 75 Tuesday in the opening round to tie with Claudine Rubin of Woodland Hills Country Club, Budke had two birdies en route to a 74 Wednesday for a three-over-par 149.

Rubin fell behind Budke Wednesday when she double-bogied the first hole, and made only one birdie the rest of the way to finish at 76 for a 151.

Heidi Voorhees, a 17-year-old from Notre Dame High of Sherman Oaks, is in third place, six strokes off the lead. She shot rounds of 80-75.

Eight strokes behind is Linda Pearson of La Canada. Pearson made tournament history Tuesday when she became the first left-hander to score a hole in one, which she did with a three-iron on No. 16, a 158-yard par three.

Terri Melansan of Rancho Park, the defending champion, tied with Budke for the low score Wednesday with a 74, but she shot an 85 in the opening round.

Play begins today at 9 a.m.