Crowe Takes Lead in SCGA Amateur

There were 21 players with more birdies than Andrew Crowe during the first two rounds of the Southern California Golf Assn. Amateur Championship, but nobody had more pars.

And it turned out that pars were pretty good Friday at Hillcrest Country Club, where Crowe shot two rounds of even-par 70 and took a one-stroke lead midway through the championship.

Steve Conway, last year’s runner-up, is tied with former Nationwide Tour pro David Bartman and Greg Lopez of San Juan Capistrano at one over. Defending champion Roy Moon shot 68 in the morning round and held the first-round lead, but had a 74 in the afternoon and is tied with 1996 U.S. Amateur Public Links champion Tim Hogarth for fifth place, two strokes out of the lead.

Crowe got into the tournament Thursday when another player withdrew, and he took advantage with steady play. He had only five birdies over two rounds, but he kept his mistakes to a minimum and made only three bogeys and a double bogey on a course that gave many players fits because of its tight fairways, ankle-deep rough and small, fast greens.

“It’s a position golf course, not just on the fairways but on the greens,” Crowe said. “If you can hit it straight, you’ll be all right. I was able to do that, but I didn’t think even par would be on the top of the leaderboard at the end of the day.”

Many players finished their rounds with sore wrists from hitting out of the thick rough. Some fairways on the 6,449-yard layout were only 20 yards wide.

“I was missing fairways with a four-iron,” Conway said. “On the front nine I only hit two drivers. I like that though because over the years iron play has been one of my strengths.”

Conway, who recently completed his eligibility at UCLA, held a one-shot lead before a double bogey on his 17th hole left him a shot behind.

Crowe, a Saddleback College sophomore, had 27 pars.

“I just wanted to stay in contention,” said Crowe, playing in his first SCGA Amateur. “I was just trying to hit it in the right spots.”

Craig Steinberg, trying to become the second five-time winner in the 105-year history of the tournament, shot rounds of 73 and 72 and is tied for 10th, five shots behind Crowe.