THOUSAND OAKS : Young Golfers Will Putt With the Pros

Poor and sick Los Angeles children will tee off with golf greats Greg Norman and Arnold Palmer and pick up tips on their strokes during a second annual putting contest in Thousand Oaks.

“They may never have an opportunity to see something as beautiful as this,” Laura Norman, the contest’s host and wife of Greg Norman, said of the Sherwood Country Club.

“There are lots of kids in their situations that don’t ever get an opportunity like this to meet famous people or famous sportsmen.”

Ten two-man teams of golfers, including Jack Nicklaus, Curtis Strange and Chi Chi Rodriguez, are competing in the $1-million Ronald McDonald Children’s Charities Invitational, which began Friday and will continue through the weekend. Organizers hope to surpass the $1 million raised for charities at last year’s event.

Eighty children, between 5 and 15 years of age and from such charity organizations as the Ronald McDonald House and Para Los Ninos, will spend about two hours on a mini-course.

Entertainment will include a magic show.

The event is open to the public.

“This event is basically to help provide opportunities for the kids to play a little bit of golf and get some tips from the pros,” said Greg Pollack, a spokesman for Ronald McDonald House.

A small, three-hole course has been set up with miniature sand and water traps, he said.