Wood Drives Off With Golf Victory

A year after getting stuck in traffic and missing his tee time at the same event, Taylor Wood scorched Glendora Country Club with a course-record 10-under-par 62 in the first of two rounds Monday at the U.S. Amateur Sectional Qualifying tournament.

Wood, who will be a senior this fall at Santa Margarita High, followed that round with a 73 over the final 18 holes to win by six strokes and qualify for the 101st U.S. Amateur Championships on Aug. 20-26 at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.

“Everything seemed like it was working for me,” said Taylor, whose only previous U.S. Amateur Qualifying experience came two years ago when he caddied for a friend. “I was putting real well and everything I hit seemed like it was going in. I guess it was just one of those days. I didn’t even get a chance to take a practice round.”

Taylor’s record-setting 62 included birdies at the first and second holes, and an eagle on the 520-yard, par-five third. Taylor birdied the 10th, 12th, 13th, 14th and the difficult par-five 18th. His only blemish was a four at the 165-yard, par-three 16th.

Rounding out the qualifiers were Ricky Santana of Brea and Dennis Reiland of Irvine, who tied for second with a 36-hole total of three-under-par 141. Jim Park of Pasadena and Jim Camaione of Upland finished one stroke behind.