Region Has Threesome at Pebble

Tim Hogarth of Chatsworth, Jason Gore of Valencia and J.T. Kohut of Simi Valley advanced to the quarterfinals of the California Amateur Championship by winning second-round matches Thursday at Pebble Beach Golf Links.

Hogarth, the stroke-play medalist, was 2-down after eight holes against 1988 state amateur finalist Randy Haag of Danville but birdied three consecutive holes and did not relinquish the lead again in a 2-and-1 victory. Hogarth, seeded No. 1, overcame a two-hole deficit in his match on Wednesday.

The reigning U.S. Public Links champion appears to have broken out of a slump that caused him to shoot an 81 in the first round of U.S. Open qualifying June 2 before pulling out of the tournament. A week later, he blew a three-stroke lead in the final two rounds when trying to defend his title in the Los Angeles City Championship and tied for second.

Hogarth, who will defend his U.S. Public Links championship next month, will play Andy Miller of BYU and Napa, son of former U.S. Open champion and NBC commentator Johnny Miller, in the quarterfinals.

Gore, from Hart High and Pepperdine, had six birdies and a double-bogey en route to his 6-and-5 rout of Jeff Burda of Modesto.

Gore, who won the Pacific 10 Conference championship as a freshman and sophomore while attending Arizona, finished third at the NCAA championships earlier this month while helping Pepperdine to the national championship. Gore will face University of California golfer Dan Arroyo in the quarterfinals.

Kohut, 17, birdied the first hole and carded birdies on all three par-3 holes he played while trouncing Donald O’Connor of Carlsbad, 5 and 4. The runner-up in the 1997 Southern Section individual championships will be a junior at Westlake High in the fall. He will play Scott Watson of Walnut Creek next.

The quarterfinals are at 6:30 a.m. today and will be followed by the semifinals in the afternoon. If Kohut and Hogarth win in the morning, they will meet in the afternoon.

Defending champion Mark Johnson of Helendale lost, 4 and 3, to Watson, ensuring there will not be a repeat winner for the 42nd consecutive year.