Ballard Follows His Caddie’s Directions to Pebble Beach

Steve Ballard was ready to head home to Westlake Village after shooting 73-67--140 on Monday in U.S. Amateur Championship qualifying at Apple Valley Country Club.

Not so fast, said caddie Steve Richman.

“I didn’t think 140 would be good enough,” Ballard said. “I didn’t feel I had a shot until they came up and said I was in a three-way playoff.”

Eddy Lee of Corona was the top qualifier at 65-66--131 and Ballard claimed the second and last spot available in the qualifier at Apple Valley when he made a seven-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole.

That came after Bryan Fortin of Apple Valley, who shot 72-68--140, chipped in for par and Mark Gardner of Redlands, who finished at 68-72--140, missed a birdie putt from 15 feet.

“As the ball was going into the hole, I said to my caddie, ‘Let’s go to Pebble Beach,’ ” said Ballard, who was playing in his first U.S. Amateur qualifier. “Then I threw my hat into the air and started celebrating.

“But it was hard to get too excited because I was so tired. It had to be 100-110 degrees and we had to walk 36 holes. I was just glad it was over.”

But the fun is only starting for Ballard, 28, who moved to Westlake Village from Colorado eight months ago after growing up in Lansing, Mich., and graduating from Ferris State University.

Ballard, who works for American Golf Corp. as membership director at Wood Ranch Golf Club in Simi Valley, will play in the 99th U.S. Amateur on Aug. 16-22 at the Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill Golf Course.

“I’ve never even been to the Monterey Peninsula,” Ballard said. “I fact, I haven’t been north of Santa Barbara.

“It’s just going to be a thrill to play at Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill. I’m just going to try to stay relaxed and stay focused.”

And listen to his caddie.

*

Jason Semelsberger of Newhall, who plays for UCLA, was in good position to qualify for the U.S. Amateur after the morning round at Tustin Ranch Golf Club but finished at 72-76--148 and missed by three strokes.

One stroke back of Semelsberger were Roy Moon of Simi Valley, a senior at Royal High, at 75-74--149, and John Tamburro of Woodland Hills at 74-75--149.

*

Lindsay Morgan of Walla Walla, Wash., eliminated Hana Kim of Encino, 5 and 3, on Thursday in the third round of match play at the U.S. Girls’ Amateur Championship at Green Spring Valley Hunt Club in Owings Spring, Md.

Kim advanced through the first two rounds Wednesday by defeating Ashley Prange of Noblesville, Ind., on the 19th hole and beating Amanda Phillips of Clarksville, Tenn., 5 and 3.

Nancy Abiecunas of Fort Collins, Colo., ousted Ina Kim, Hana’s sister, in the second round, 2 up. Ina Kim defeated Jamie Kim of Los Angeles in the first round, 5 and 4.

*

Kyle Thurston of Thousand Oaks shot two-under-par 70 to tie for first place but lost out in a card-off to Fumio Matsumoto of Rancho Palos Verdes on Wednesday in the Knollwood Junior Championship at Knollwood Country Club in Granada Hills.

Brandon Christianson of Valencia was third at 71, followed by Eugene Choe of Granada Hills at 74 and Andrew Lee of Monterey Park.

*

Mark Modglin of Simi Valley shot two-over-par 74 on Monday to win the boys’ 15-17 division of a Ventura County Junior Golf Assn. event at Camarillo Springs Golf Club.

Modglin finished one stroke ahead of Jason Silvertrust of Camarillo and Devlin Thomas of Ojai.

Another stroke back at 76 were Nathan Dahl of Ventura and Jeff Riddle of Camarillo.

Charlene Alfonso of Agoura Hills tied for best score of the day, 73, and won the girls’ 13-17 division by 16 strokes.

Kristin Smith of Moorpark and Alana Silvertrust of Camarillo tied for second at 89, with Rebecca Norris of Thousand Oaks at 90.

Jason Wilk of Camarillo won the boys’ 13-14 division at 73, one stroke ahead of Brandon Beck of Oak Park.

Wyeth Bonney was third at 75, followed by Kyle Dowden of Somis and Ryan Lapuz of Camarillo at 76.

Salvador Camacho of Oxnard and Dan Hoffenberg of Simi Valley took top honors in the boys’ 11-12 division by shooting 41 for nine holes at Buenaventura Golf Course in Ventura. Matt Hoffenberg of Simi Valley was third at 43.

Lotta Andonian of Camarillo won the girls’ 11-12 division by shooting 58 over nine holes, followed by Alanna Maiello of Camarillo at 71 and Daniele Lukens of Camarillo at 73.

*

Tim Hogarth of Chatsworth is tied for 13th after three rounds of the Pacific Coast Amateur Championship at Seattle Country Club.

Hogarth, who won the California Amateur title last month, is at 74-75-72--221.

*

Justin Ohye of Calabasas is tied for 23rd in the Lucent Technologies Boys’ Junior Championship after three rounds at Gleneagles Country Club in Plano, Texas.

Ohye is at 72-77-70--219.

*

Brad Uptgraft of Valencia finished tied for 15th in the Southwestern Junior Classic on the Championship Course at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

Uptgraft shot 78-73-71--222.