Berganio Takes Stranglehold on Golf Event

First-round leader David Berganio Jr. of Sylmar could not match his first-round, record-tying 64 at Forest Highlands Golf Club, but his one-under-par 70 on Wednesday in the 25th Pacific Coast Amateur championship extended his lead to eight shots after two rounds.

Berganio, a graduate of Alemany High who will be a junior this fall at Arizona, is the only golfer under par after two rounds. With his eight-under-par 134, Berganio leads John Sosa of El Paso and Jaxon Brigman of Abilene, Tex., who are tied at par 142.

Unlike Tuesday when 10 golfers broke par and and nine matched par, swirling winds and firm greens sent scores soaring. Only five golfers bettered par--each shooting a 70--and just three matched par.

Berganio, who had nine birdies and only two bogies in Tuesday’s record-tying round, scrambled throughout Wednesday’s round.

“I could have shot a lot lower,” he said after the round, “but I made some mental mistakes and they cost me.”

Berganio bogied the second hole when he three-putted from 20 feet and bogied the seventh hole after chunking his approach shot. However, he balanced those scores when he eagled the par-five fifth hole by chipping in from the fringe and birdied the par-three eighth hole for a one-under-par 34 on the front side. After birdieing the par-five 13th hole to go two under on his round, Berganio double bogied the par-four 16th hole to drop back to even par.

“I knew I had too much club on my approach,” he explained, “so I tried to ease up on a one iron and yanked it left into the trees and rocks.”

Undaunted, Berganio rallied for a birdie three on the 17th hole and parred the final hole to complete his one-under round.

Craig Steinberg of Van Nuys, who had a one-under-par 70 for a 143 total, shares third place.

Berganio’s pair of under-par rounds also powered the Southern California Public Links Golf Assn. to an eight-shot victory over Sun Country GA in the annual Morse Cup competition.

With the best two-of-three scores counting from each of the first two rounds, SoCal Publinks had a 280 total, eight shots ahead of Sun Country GA and nine in front of Southern California GA.

The field was cut to the low 51 players for the third round. The tournament concludes Friday.