Pelican Hill Event Ends Tours’ Seasons

The final PGA Tour, LPGA Tour and Senior PGA Tour events of 2000 take place this weekend when the Hyundai Team matches are contested at Pelican Hill in Newport Coast.

Highlighting the field are defending champions Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson of the Senior PGA Tour, Fred Couples and Mark Calcavecchia of the PGA Tour and Dottie Pepper and Juli Inkster of the LPGA Tour.

The event, an unofficial event on all three tours, is three tournaments in one. Teams from each tour compete independent of one another in four-ball matches, otherwise known as better ball or best ball.

The total purse of $1.2 million will be equally divided among the different fields, with each winning team receiving $200,000.

The semifinals are Saturday at 9 a.m. and the winners play Sunday at 9 a.m. This is the second year that the matches have been played at Pelican Hill.

Tickets are $25 for the pro-am on Friday and $35 on Saturday and Sunday. Three-day passes are available for $65 and children under 12 get in for $15 Friday and $20 Saturday and Sunday.

Clubhouse badges, allowing access to the Pelican Hill Clubhouse Grill and a lower-level service area, are available for $45 Friday, $55 Saturday and $60 Sunday. A three-day clubhouse badge is $105.

For ticket information call (877) 484-3014 or (949) 759-5175 or visit www.ticketmaster.com.

PLAY WITH A PRO

Spots are still available for the pro-am portion of the Team Matches this week at Pelican Hill.

For $6,000 participants will play Thursday with a Southern California PGA member and Friday with one of the PGA, Senior PGA or LPGA pros playing in the matches. Information: (949) 759-5175.

CLINIC AT PELICAN

The Southern California PGA will conduct a free junior clinic Thursday as part of the Team Matches at Pelican Hill.

The clinic, which will include instruction and introduction to the fundamentals of golf, is open to anyone aged 7-17. It begins at 3:30 p.m. at the practice and teaching center at Pelican Hill. Information: (714) 776-4653.

TALEGA OPENING SET

Talega Golf Club in San Clemente will open Jan. 4 and will begin accepting tee times Friday, a course spokesman said.

Green fees for residents of Orange and San Diego counties will be $125 Monday through Thursday, $155 Fridays and $185 on weekends and holidays. Rates for those who live outside the two counties are $150 Monday-Thursday, $200 on Friday and $225 on Saturday, Sunday and Holidays.

Twilight, nine-hole, junior and senior rates are also available during certain times.

Talega is an 18-hole, daily-fee course co-designed by PGA Tour star Fred Couples and Brian Curley of Schmidt-Curley Design.

For tee times, call 949-369-6226.

WONG TAKES NEW POST

Gerald Wong has been named Tournament Director for the Southern California PGA, replacing Ron O’Connor, who retired after 19 years of service.

Wong, 29, joins the SCPGA after 2 1/2 years as assistant director of rules and competitions at the Southern California Golf Assn. A former Los Angeles City Junior champion, Wong is a graduate of Cal State Northridge.

CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS

Tony Behrstock of Los Angeles, the club champion at Hillcrest Country Club, shot one-under-par 71 Monday at Wood Ranch in Simi Valley and won the SCGA Tournament of Club Champions.

It was the first SCGA victory for Behrstock, who finished a shot ahead of Cameron Broumand of Los Angeles and Chris Etue of Chatsworth.

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A Perfect Match

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Source: Pelican Hill Golf Club