GOLF / STEVE KRESAL : Mesa Verde to See the Future of Women’s Game

Mesa Verde Country Club played host to some of the world’s finest women’s golfers when the Ladies’ Professional Golf Assn. Tour stopped there in recent years.

But now the Costa Mesa club will be host to the probable future stars of the tour, when the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship comes to town, Aug. 2-7.

This is the second time in the tournament’s 45-year history that it has been played in Orange County and the fifth time in California.

It was played at Hacienda Golf Club in La Habra in 1967.

“We are very proud of the fact that we were chosen to host this tournament,” said Bill Wallace, general chairman of the club’s championship committee. “For many of the girls, it’s the biggest (tournament) they will play in.”

To be eligible, players had to have an index of 11.5 or lower and be younger than 18. About 220 entered for the 156 spots. The field was selected based on the lowest index numbers.

There will be medal play during the first two days to cut the field to 64, who advance to match play for the remainder of the week.

The round of 16 and quarterfinals take place Aug. 5. The semifinal matches are at 8:30 a.m. Aug. 6 and the final is at 9 a.m. Aug. 7.

Spectators are permitted and admission is free. Still, crowds aren’t expected to be too large.

“We’re not dealing with names the public will recognize,” said Les Unger of the United States Golf Assn. “We’re dealing with the future of the game.”

The possible exception to that is a couple of local standouts who are among the favorites to reach the later rounds. There are seven players from Orange County scheduled to compete, including Alicia Allison of Santa Ana who reached the final of the same event last year at Meridian Hill Country Club in Indianapolis. She lost to Jamie Koizumi of Hawaii. Koizumi, who will be a sophomore at Duke next fall, is 17 and will return to defend her title.

Allison defeated Kellee Booth of Coto de Caza in one semifinal. Booth, who has won four American Junior Golf Assn. tournaments this year and is leading a fifth, also will compete.

Other locals taking part are Jenny Glasgow of Corona del Mar, Brandi Harms of El Toro, Candida Kim of Coto de Caza, and Jane and Susie Park, both of Buena Park.

Harms, who will be a junior at Trabuco Hills High School this fall, will be playing for the the championship on her home course, which she hopes will work to her advantage.

“I’m used to it (the course) and I like it,” Harms said. “I know a lot of people here and they will be rooting for me to do well . . . My goal is to make it to match play.”

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The Mesa Verde course, normally a par-71 layout, will be upped to 72 for the championship.

The added stroke comes on the 10th hole, which has been changed from a long par four to a short par five (440 yards). The course, with its tree-lined fairways and subtly-breaking greens, will play at 5,934 yards.

There have been other alterations, too, including a new tee box being added to the 11th hole. It will play at 504 yards, making it the longest hole on the course.

Only a few other minor changes are being made for the championship, according to Reed Yenny, superintendent at Mesa Verde.

The fairways will remain cut at a half-inch. The rough will remain at 1 1/2 inches and there also will be intermediate rough cut at one inch.

Several of the numerous trees have been cut back to give the course a less narrow feel and new sand has been added to the traps.

“As far as the greens go,” Yenny said, “we’re not going to do anything to make them extra hard or fast.”

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Bob May of Anaheim Hills finished 10 shots behind winner Dave Stockton Jr. at the Nike Hawkeye Open on Sunday in Iowa City, earning $1,113 and maintaining his position among the leading money winners on the Nike Tour.

After 17 of 30 events, May has earned $71,007 and is in fourth place. The top-10 money winners at the end of the year earn exempt status on the 1994 PGA Tour.