OPEN-MINDED

Sitting on a chair by the clubhouse, his two latest golf rounds over, David Berganio Jr. is rehashing the day’s highs and lows when he suddenly bolts for the nearby leaderboard.

“I’ve got to go see what’s going on,” Berganio says.

He likes what he sees. Sort of.

With more than half of the golfers already accounted for, Berganio remains in a three-way tie for second place with a total of 140, two shots behind leader Chris Zambri of Camarillo.

But Berganio, an Alemany High graduate and Sylmar resident, is antsy. Only the top five finishers in the sectional qualifier at El Caballero Country Club on Monday advance to the U.S. Open on June 17-20 at Pinehurst, N.C.

That’s five of 81 players, five hopefuls whose dreams are fulfilled while the others must resign themselves to wait and try again next year.

“I’m not nervous,” Berganio claims.

His actions, at least at first, tell otherwise. He goes to the range with his caddie, returns a few moments later, and kills more time by munching on chips and pretzels lifted from friends.

Later, as the scores from the last group are posted, Berganio can finally relax.

He’s going back to the U.S. Open.

Berganio, 29, has played in three Opens, and raised eyebrows in 1996 when he led the tournament for a few hours after his first-round 69 at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

He finished tied for 16th with a five-over-par 285, seven strokes behind winner Steve Jones. The performance whetted Berganio’s appetite to play in the Open again.

“Nothing like the majors,” he said. “What I remember the most is I had a chance to win the U.S. Open.”

Berganio, a former All-American at Arizona and the Pacific 10 Conference most valuable player in 1993, played as an amateur in the Open that year but did not make the cut. He finished well behind the leaders after making the cut one year later as a professional.

But since 1996, Berganio was not able to make the field again until Monday.

He has played in the Nike Tour the last two seasons, missing 12 weeks last year after cracking ribs in a basketball game.

“Some guy low-bridged me,” Berganio said. “About two weeks later, I re-injured the ribs making my bed. I could hear them crack.”

This year, Berganio has played in nine events and won $24,530.

Berganio, who’s never short on confidence and seldom on his drives--he rocketed one about 340 yards on the 17th hole in the afternoon round on Monday--maintains a steady exercise regimen to stay in shape. He works with light weights and runs about two miles on a treadmill four times a week.

His stamina showed at grueling par-71, 6,830-yard El Caballero, a hilly course that requires nearly constant climbing.

Berganio played El Caballero only once, a practice round the week before the qualifier. He practices mostly at El Cariso Golf Course in Sylmar or Lakeside Golf Club in Toluca Lake.

He shot 67 in the morning round, one stroke behind Zambri, a Westlake High graduate. Zambri covered the back nine in a remarkable four-under 31 and claimed first place with an afternoon round of 72.

“I putted well in the morning,” Berganio said. “I made a couple of long birdie putts. I hit the ball overall better in the afternoon. I had two three-putts and that was the difference in my [afternoon] round.

“It’s a tough course. Lots of undulation [on the greens]. Everything breaks away from the hills and toward the Valley.”

Berganio shot 73 in the afternoon, ending with three putts on the 456-yard ninth hole and wondering whether his 140 total would be good enough for a trip to the Open.

It was.

But first, Berganio will play this weekend in the Nike Tour’s event in Cleveland before heading for his fourth Open, where he plans to approach Pinehurst’s celebrated No. 2 course in his usual style.

“I just hit [the ball], find it and try to hit it in the hole,” he said.