ON THE GREEN : CHIP SHOTS : Three Tours’ Top Players to Compete in O.C.

A field of the world’s top golfers is being assembled to compete in the Diners Club Matches Dec. 11-12 at Pelican Hill in Newport Coast. Golf legends Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson will team up and headline the field of 12 two-player teams from the PGA, LPGA and Senior PGA tours.

Gil Morgan and Jay Sigel, who won the senior portion of the event the last time it was held in 1997, will battle Nicklaus and Watson; Allen Doyle and Dana Quigley; and Bruce Fleisher with a partner to be named.

LPGA defending champions Juli Inkster and Dottie Pepper will go against Nancy Lopez and Kelli Kuehne; Karrie Webb and Kelly Robbins; and Annika Sorenstam and Lori Kane.

Representatives from the PGA will include Fred Couples and Phil Mickelson; Steve Pate and Mark Wiebe; Chris Perry and Paul Azinger; and defending champions Jeff Maggert and Steve Elkington.

“Can I tell you how excited we are with this field?” tournament director Gary Pollard said. “We have four of the top five LPGA players and four of the top five seniors. You look at the senior field and Nicklaus and Watson are probably going to be the No. 4 seed.”

The format for the event is team match play. There are separate tournaments for teams from each tour and a total purse of $1.2 million.

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Tickets for the Diners Club Matches are $125 and include admission for the practice rounds Dec. 10 and both tournament days. Parking is also included. Tickets are available through the tournament office, (949) 759-5175; by calling (888) 386-8497; or online at www.etm.com.

Ticket sales will be limited to 10,000. The tournament will be televised by ABC.

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Officials from the Diners Club Matches are seeking volunteers to be course marshals, walking scorers, press room assistants, concession attendants and scoring assistants.

Interested parties should contact the tournament office at (949) 759-5175.

LIKE TAKING CANDIE

Candie Kung has made a smooth transition from the junior circuit to the collegiate tour.

The Fountain Valley High graduate, now a freshman at USC, shook off an opening-round four-over-par 76 in her first college tournament and finished second at the season-opening NCAA Women’s Preview tournament at the Sunriver Resort in Sunriver, Ore.

Kung shot 69 in the final two rounds and her three-day total of two-under-par 214 was four strokes behind winner Miriam Nagl of Arizona State, also a freshman.

Kung, who finished her junior career ranked No. 1 in the nation, was a preseason All-American selection by Golfweek. USC, which finished second to Duke in the NCAA Preview tournament, is ranked No. 4 in the preseason poll.

ALBATROSS BONUS

On the way to his first professional victory, Bob May made an incredible shot, knocking in his second shot from 228 yards on the par-five 10th hole at Woburn Golf and Country Club in England.

May’s double eagle, or albatross, came during the second round of the British Masters. May, who grew up in La Habra, went on to defeat Colin Montgomerie by one stroke.

On the 502-yard hole, May hit driver, then holed out with his three-iron.

May will receive a prize for the shot: the winnings of a racehorse in an upcoming race in England. The tournament’s sponsor, bookmaker Victor Chandler On Course, offered “ownership” of an unnamed chestnut colt to any player who made an albatross on the 514-yard, par-five 18th hole. May’s shot prompted the sponsor to offer the consolation prize.

May, a Las Vegas resident who hopes to qualify for the 2000 PGA Tour, will play in the PGA Tour’s Las Vegas Invitational Oct. 13-17.

SCPGA AWARDS

David Wright of Pelican Hill received the Southern California PGA Horton Smith award for his work in furthering the education of PGA professionals. Bill Hulbert of Yorba Linda Country Club received the Bill Strausbaugh Award for his work in improving employment conditions for PGA professionals. Mike Lawson, a Placentia resident and PGA Regional Career Consultant, was granted honorary life membership in the SCPGA.

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Staff writer Martin Beck contributed to this story.