Woods Simply Has Too Much on the Ball : Golf: He wins Southern California Amateur easily, despite impressive performance by runner-up.

Mark Johnson will have to be content as Southern California’s best golfer with a day job.

The 40-year-old delivery man and sales representative for a beer company in Barstow shot a 67 at Hacienda Golf Club on Sunday, his best of four good rounds at the Southern California Golf Assn. Amateur Championship, to finish at 275, five under.

“I’ve been in contention to win (the Amateur) for about the last six years,” Johnson said. “But this is the first time I’ve put together four solid rounds. And I got hammered.”

Johnson was referring to Tiger Woods, who beat him by five strokes. Woods, 18, of Cypress, shot a par 70 to finish at 270 after a course-record 62 on Saturday.

Charlie Wi, from North Hills, was third at 278. Don Baker from Canoga Park and Santa Barbara’s John Pate tied for fourth at 283.

Said Woods: “My swing is a lot better lately, and my hands are not as wild. I haven’t had any growth spurts in a while and I think that’s a lot of it. I’ve leveled off lately.”

The Amateur caps a string of impressive performances for Woods. He recently was 35-under par for 140 holes of match play at the Pacific Northwest Amateur. He now hopes to qualify for the U.S. Amateur before attending Stanford in the fall.

“He’s one of the very best amateurs in the country,” Johnson said of Woods. “He’s going to be a great golfer. He plays one of our events and breaks all the records.”

By Sunday’s final round, Woods had become easily the biggest draw at the event, as Tom Kroll, a golf sales representative from San Marcos, could attest.

“(During Woods’ 62 round on Saturday), I got to (the ninth hole) and saw my son,” Kroll said. “He said, ‘Where’s Tiger?’ My own kid would rather watch Tiger.”

Kroll was fifth at 284.

Ed Cuff, a pre-tournament favorite, walked the course with his pregnant wife, Kathy, and 22-month old son, Kevin. Cuff, a steel manufacturing sales representative from Temecula, finished at 298.

“How often do I practice? Well, I had a round with a client last week,” Cuff said. “I try to play most Saturdays, but it hasn’t been real often.”

These are the typical amateur players, a field Johnson would have crushed any other year. But then came Woods.

“I know what it feels like to be lapped,” Woods said. “But its nice to be on the other side.”