O’Flaherty Bunker Shot Saves Day

Brian O’Flaherty of Westlake Village pondered his bunker shot on the 14th hole and knew he had to make something happen soon.

O’Flaherty, trailing by three strokes, sank the shot for an eagle that led to a one-stroke victory in the Lucent Western Canadian Junior on Thursday at Glencoe Golf and Country Club in Calgary.

“I couldn’t get that shot out of my mind for five minutes after I hit it,” said O’Flaherty, who finished at 75-72-73--220. “The last few holes were so emotional.”

Blake Brown of Atascadero, who led for two rounds, faltered after O’Flaherty’s eagle and finished second at 69-74-78--221.

Brown, on the verge of picking up a stroke with a tap-in birdie when O’Flaherty sank his bunker shot, made a bogey on 15 and watched O’Flaherty pull even with a birdie on 16.

O’Flaherty, a senior at Westlake High, claimed victory with a two-putt par from 10 feet on 18, where Brown three-putted from seven feet.

“I couldn’t believe it,” O’Flaherty said, “I struggled with my game all summer. I practiced every day for this and it paid off.”

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Anthony Kim of Studio City shot two-under-par 70 and qualified for the Ping Phoenix Junior Championship on the Karsten Golf Course at Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz.

Nonqualifiers included Robert Murphy of Palmdale at 73, Roy Moon of Simi Valley at 74, Michael Park of La Crescenta at 75, Scott Fulkerson of Simi Valley at 77 and Zack King of Ventura at 82.

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Jeff Osborn of Glendale shot 74-80-77--231 and tied for 23rd place in the Greater Hartford Jaycees Junior Classic on the Red Course at the Golf Club of Avon in Avon, Conn.