Cook Averts Collapse to Capture Junior World Championship

The last thing on Kevin Cook’s mind Thursday was losing the golf tournament. Cook was more preoccupied with setting the Mission Trails Optimist Junior World scoring record of 204 than anything else.

But while Cook, who will be a freshman this fall at Clovis West High in Fresno, focused on the record books, Ted Oh and Jeff Fahrenbuch almost sneaked in the back door and stole the tournament.

Cook had a three-stroke lead over Oh and Fahrenbuch with five holes to play, but he needed a tap-in on the 18th hole to clinch the boys’ 13-14 division title.

Cook, who was second to Eldrick “Tiger” Woods here last year, finished with a four-under-par 208 after a round of 69. Oh, who will be a freshman at Torrance High this fall, had a one-under 70 and finished at 209. Fahrenbuch, of Dallas, shot a 72 after entering the day with a two-stroke lead over Cook and Oh.

San Marcos’ Andrew Wen, the opening-round leader, finished at 212 after a 72 Thursday.

The tournament appeared out of reach for Oh and Fahrenbuch the way Cook was hitting ball. Until the 16th, he had hit all but two greens. But on the 16th, a par-4, 342-yard dogleg left, Cook ran into trouble when he pulled his drive onto the 15th green.

After getting relief, Cook’s second shot landed on the fringe. A nice chip left him just four feet from the hole, but he misread his par putt and slid it by the cup.

All of a sudden, the thought of losing crept into Cook’s mind.

“On 14, I knew I had to make four birdies to break the course record,” he said. “Then, when I missed a couple of putts, I just started thinking about winning it. Then, on 16 I started thinking about Ted.”

Said Oh: “If he makes that putt on 16, the door is closed.”

Cook’s bogey on 16 left him just a stroke ahead of Oh, but Oh’s hopes of winning faded after his four-foot par putt broke left of the hole. Cook parred, and the lead was back to two strokes.

“I looked at every angle,” he said. “I hit a perfect putt. I just broke past the cup at the last instant.”

Oh didn’t give himself much of chance to make up the two strokes on the 18th. He hooked his drive into the rough on the par-4, 270-yard hole. Cook’s drive was also in the rough, but he chipped to within five feet of the cup.

Needing to hole his third shot to tie Cook, Oh ran the ball eight feet past the hole. Cook missed his birdie putt, but left himself a one-footer for the victory.

Wen, who will be a freshman at San Marcos High this fall, never made a serious run at the leaders after he bogeyed the third and fifth holes.

He blamed his bad day on his putter.

“I just can’t putt,” he said. “The first day I putted well, but I couldn’t make anything the last two days.”

Still, Wen earned a spot on the Japan Cup team. The top six finishers in the boys’ 13-14 age bracket receive an expenses-paid trip to Japan Aug. 30-Sept. 1 to compete against a Japanese team.

Overall, 46 players in the four divisions will earn trips to Japan.

Maria Mejia of Colombia won the girls’ 13-14 division at Mission Trails with a final round 69. Mejia finished at 216, two strokes ahead of Jody Niemenn of Rigby, Ida., who shot a 73.

10-and-under division--At Presidio Hills, Darren Stapley of Mesa, Ariz., sank a birdie putt on the third hole of sudden death to defeat Matthew Cohn of San Diego in boys’ competition.

Stapley, who shot a 56 Thursday, came from seven strokes back to tie Cohn at 167.

In girls’ competition, Lorena Ochoa of Guadalajara, Mexico, shot 56 to beat Dawn Miyashiro of Hilo, Hawaii, by 15 strokes, 164 to 179.

11-12 division--In boys’ play at Singing Hills’ Pine Glen Course, Jin Park of Fullerton blew a four-stroke lead but rallied to beat Jason Semelsberger of Newhall by two strokes, 164 to 166.

Park, who shot a 56, was tied with Semelsberger after 16 holes, but he made a 10-birdie putt on 17 and parred the 18th. Semelsberger shot a final round of 54.

Rancho Santa Fe’s Kevin Stadler, son of professional golfer Craig Stadler, finished third at 167 after firing a 55.

Eun Park of Honolulu, Hawaii, won the girls’ 11-12 division with a 177. Elisha Au of Hilo was a stroke back at 178.

15-17 division--Despite shooting a four-over-par 40 on the front nine, Eldrick “Tiger” Woods is only one stroke behind leader Mark Worthington of Redmond, Wash., going into today’s final round at Torrey Pines.

Woods, who shot 73, is tied with Madison High’s Chris Riley, the defending San Diego Section champion, at 217. Riley and Woods have shot identical scores of 74-70-73.

Woods, who played the back nine first, came in at three under. But he made bogeys at Nos. 1, 4, 5, 7 and 8. Worthington shot a 76 after shooting 72 and 68 the first two days.

Worthington, Riley and Woods will tee off today in the final round at about 9 a.m.

In girls’ play, Vibeke Stensrud of Oslo, Norway, leads Skyli Yamada of Sandy, Utah, 227 to 230.