McGhion Misses Fairways, Finds Lead

Hitting errant tee shots on one of the most difficult golf courses in Southern California is not the normal recipe for success, but it worked for Scott McGhion.

The 31-year-old middle school teacher from Bermuda Dunes struggled to hit fairways Saturday on the Zaharias course at Industry Hills, but made some crucial par saves and grabbed the lead after three rounds of the SCGA Amateur championship. McGhion shot a one-over-par 72--tied for best round of the day--for a three-day total of one-over 215.

McGhion, who played at UC Irvine in 1989 and ‘90, has a one-shot lead over John Pate of Santa Barbara, brother of PGA Tour player Steve Pate. McGhion is two ahead of Mark Etue of Carlsbad, the 1974 Los Angeles City High School champion, heading into today’s final round on Industry Hills’ Eisenhower course.

Steve Conway, the 17-year-old from Dove Canyon who shared the second round lead with McGhion, slipped into a tie for 12th when his putting deserted him during a third-round 80. He is eight shots behind McGhion.

“I was all over the place,” McGhion said. “I played so ugly, I didn’t think I’d be leading the tournament. I figured I’d still be in it, but not leading.”

It is a familiar position for the leader, who coaches golf at Indio High. He held the third-round lead last year, but shot 74 and lost by five shots. He was the first-round leader in 1997 and finished eighth.

After missing a two-foot putt on the second hole that led to a double bogey, McGhion started having bad memories of lost tournament leads.

“When I started so poorly, I thought, ‘Gee whenever you get near a lead, you start leaking oil,’ ” McGhion said. “But then I made some good pars and finally got some putts to drop.”

One of those good pars came at the par-three seventh. His tee shot was well right, but a flop shot out of deep rough got him to within a foot of the hole. He finally got the putter going, rolling in 12-foot birdie putts on the 12th and 14th holes.

“This is good mentally,” McGhion said. “Knowing I can hit it poorly and still shoot the low round, I can’t believe that.”

Conway couldn’t believe his poor putting. He three-putted three times, and his only birdie came when he it within three feet on the fifth.

“I was thinking about yesterday too much,” said the Santa Margarita senior-to-be, who attended a rock concert Friday night after playing and did not know he was leading the tournament until opening the paper Saturday morning.

Conway didn’t have a double bogey in two rounds Friday, but had two in the first eight holes Saturday.

“I lost my composure,” he said. “Later in the round, I started to force it and that’s not smart on this course.”