Final round of Glendale City Golf Championship set to commence
GLENDALE — After attacking the links at School Canyon Golf Course for the qualifying round of the second annual Glendale City Golf Championship, qualifiers will shift across town to scenic Oakmont Country Club with plenty at stake.
Forty players will venture to the championship course in quest of winning their respective flights during the event’s championship round at noon Monday.
How the par-71 course holds up for each participant in the 18-hole round remains to be seen. Rick Dinger, the event’s chairman, said adjustments will need to be made on the course, which spans nearly 7,100 yards, after the field dealt with the much-smaller par-60 Scholl Canyon course.
“There’s going to be an amazing caliber of players, some who have played Oakmont before and some who haven’t,” Dinger said. “At Oakmont, you are going to have to hit the ball a lot longer. That’s the key.
“Scholl had some pretty tough pin placements and it’s a shorter course. In the championship round, I think your driver is going to be really important.”
Sixteen players will partake in the tournament’s championship flight following Thursday’s opening round. Also, eight participants from the Verdugo, Deukmejian and Brand flights will compete.
Nick Sarian and Lewis Simon share the championship lead after each registered three-under-par 57s.
In addition to sharing the top spot on the leader board, Sarian and Simon begin Monday’s round entering unchartered territory as neither have played before at Oakmont.
“I hear it’s a great course,” said Sarian, a Simi Valley resident. “I know I’m going to have to hit the ball far and straight to have a chance.
“I’ve had a good short game going of late, so I need to keep my putter rolling.”
Simon, a resident of Torrance, said he’ll look to avoid hitting shots near the numerous trees that hug the fairways.
“You don’t want to go out there and get too fancy,” Simon said. “You have to be able to hit straight and you never know if the greens can be tricky.”
Also set to compete in the championship flight are Brian Dancses, Chris Russo, Joel Yoo, Harold Anderson, Ferdie Barbosa, Nick Scott, Gregory Gorman, Ryan Miranda, Dave Davis, Tavit Garabedian, Scott Silcott, Mike Mozilo, Vinh Do and Nick Quintanilla.
James Hansen and Bruce Frink recorded net scores of 56 to take the lead in the Verdugo flight.
Robert Burns turned in a net score of 58 to grab a two-stroke lead in the Brand flight.
Ross Thiers, Jerry Butt, Richard Dishongh and Anthony Capozzi finished with 60s to share the lead in the Deukmejian flight by one stroke.
Also competing in the Verdugo flight will be David Shelburne, Bill Ree, Tientien Li, Carlos Casanova, Clifton Tucker and Patrick Gelwicks.
Those also set to participate in the Deukmejian flight are Ryan Bowne, Paul Kerdpinyo, Chris Logan and Se Chavez.
Dinger, Ian Martin, Harry Missakian, Robert Naka, Malik Basurto, Ara Bedros and Bos Crowther will also partake in the Brand flight.
The event, sponsored by Trusted Choice, is designed for amateurs with a maximum handicap index of 24. All proceeds will benefit the Glendale Parks and Open Space Foundation, a non-profit organization.
