Wi Attempts to Repeat State Amateur Golf Win

Charlie Wi of Westlake Village does not want to think about the idea of becoming the first golfer in 36 years to repeat as the California State Amateur champion.

“I just want to go and play well,” he said. “I can’t think about winning. It would be so hard to win two years in a row.”

Wi, as the old joke goes, is the only golfer in the 102-man field who can.

He won the title last year in a dazzling display of golf over the tough courses of the Monterey Peninsula, whipping first Craig Steinberg of Van Nuys, the 1988 Southern California Golf Assn. champion, then talented Paul Stankowski of Oxnard, a star player at Texas El Paso.

He won the championship with an easy victory over veteran Gary Vanier of Pleasant Hill on the famed Pebble Beach golf links.

Not bad work for an 18-year-old who did not even qualify to play in the amateur championship, missing out by one stroke in his attempt a month earlier and only getting a berth into the event four days before it began when a player dropped out.

Because of his victory, he received an exemption into the 1991 championship.

The last player to post back-to-back victories in the state amateur was Dr. Frank Taylor in 1954-55.

The tournament gets under way Monday with half of the field--including Wi--playing Spyglass Hill Golf Club and the other half starting at Pebble Beach.

The players switch courses for Tuesday’s second round of stroke play, with the top 32 advancing to match play Wednesday at Pebble Beach.

Wi finished his freshman year at Nevada Reno last month after rising quickly to become the No. 1 player on the school’s golf team.

In addition to Steinberg, other area golfers who will tee off in the championship Monday include Mitch Voges of Simi Valley, the 1990 SCGA Mid-Amateur champion, Jimmy Chang of Westlake Village, Bob Frishette of Burbank, Chris Etue of Canoga Park and Brian Lamb of Newbury Park.