Harcourt Halts Stephan’s L.A. Senior Women Reign

Alice Harcourt ended Barbara Stephan’s four-year hold on the Los Angeles City Senior Women’s Golf Championship on Thursday with a seven-stroke victory at Sepulveda Golf Complex in Encino.

Harcourt, of Pala Mesa Resort in Fallbrook, shot five-over par 75 at Balboa on Wednesday and two-over 74 at Encino for a 36-hole total of 149.

Stephan, of Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, finished second at 81-75--156. She won a fifth title in 1993.

Dona Kogan of Sepulveda finished third at 77-79--156, followed by Carla Loomis of Hansen Dam Golf Course in Pacoima at 83-78--161 and Toni Snow of Oakmont Country Club in Glendale at 87-81--168.

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Hana Kim of Encino and Sara Jones of Valencia qualified last week for the U.S. Junior Girls’ Amateur Championship.

Kim finished second in qualifying at Coto de Caza Golf and Racquet Club by shooting 72.

Jones earned the ninth and final qualifying spot at Columbia Edgewater Country Club in Portland, Ore., by shooting 83.

The U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur Championship will be played Aug. 2-7 at Green Spring Valley Hunt Club in Ownings Mills. Md.

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Shane O’Brien of Woodland Hills earned a paycheck in his first professional tournament when he tied for fourth in a Golden State Tour event at Wood Ranch Golf Club in Simi Valley.

O’Brien, who recently tied the course record of 61 at Sunset Hills Country Club in Thousand Oaks, played Wood Ranch in 34-34 and took home $450.

Amateur Robert Sul of Torrance shot 36-32--68 to win the event.

Mark Singer of Simi Valley finished at 37-33--71 and tied for second with Dan Tanner of Sun Valley, who shot 37-34--71.

O’Brien tied fourth with Don Fiala of Simi Valley, who shot 36-36--72.

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Saticoy Country Club in Somis lost out in a bid to host the LPGA’s 20th annual Samsung World Championship of Women’s Golf on Sept. 9-12.

The tournament will be held instead at Rush Creek Golf Club in Maple Grove, Minn.

“We read it in the newspaper,” said Lynn Allen, general manager at Saticoy, of the decision. “That’s how we found out.”

The tournament originally was scheduled for a new Arnold Palmer-designed course in Aspen, Colo., but those plans fell through.

Rush Creek was the site of an LPGA tournament the last two years but lost its sponsor and the event this year.

“I can understand why they went with a site they are familiar with,” Allen said. “There’s not a lot of time to put this together.”

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Devlin Thomas of Ojai won the boys’ 15-17 division of the Ojai City Junior Championship on Tuesday at Ojai Valley Inn and Spa.

Thomas shot 73 at Soule Park on Monday and 74 at Ojai Valley Inn to finish one stroke ahead of Jeff Riddle of Camarillo, who made a hole in one on the 142-yard third hole at Soule Park and totaled 75-73--148.

Julie McKenna of Newbury Park ran away with the girls’ title by shooting 78-74--152, with Beth Allen of Ojai second at 160.

Darren Schwartz of Westlake Village won the boys’ 13-14 division with a total of 79-78--157, one stroke better than Ramie Sprinkling of Camarillo, who finished at 79-79--158.