10-2-06

Pismo golfer wins Santa Barbara title

Josh Warthen tops field in county amateur championship by three shots

A Pismo Beach golfer has taken top honors in the 2006 Santa Barbara County Amateur championship, held this past weekend at La Purisima Golf Course.
Josh Warthen claimed a three-shot win at the par-72 layout, posting a 72-70 -142 on a damp weekend in the hills near Lompoc.
Playing in the final group on Sunday, Warthen and UCSB golfer Matt Grush dueled, with Warthen holding a one-shot advantage going into No. 14.
"Me and Matt were going at it all day," said Warthen, who recently finished in a three-way tie for second place in the San Luis Obispo city championship.
Grush, who finished four shots back with a 146, stumbled at 14 with a bogey.
Warthen then helped himself with a birdie on the par-4 436-yard No. 16 and salted the win with a par save on No. 17, a 167-yard par 3.
"I made a 10 footer for par on No. 17," said Warthen. "I played good coming down the stretch."
Another UCSB golfer, Joe Ryon, finished in second place with a 145.
Warthen, who plays out of Cypress Ridge Golf Course, won $700 in scrip along with his trophy for his weekend efforts.
There were 36 players in the championship flight. They played under overcast skies Saturday and coped with rain showers on Sunday.
Mark Johnson captured the handicap flight with a net 75-75--150. Fifteen players competed in the net division of the championship.
Warthen last month took top honors at the Ventura County Amateur Championship, winning that 54-hole event over Labor Day weekend with a 12-under par 67-67-65--199.
The Santa Barbara event will be his last amateur challenge, as Warthen will compete this fall in a new professional tour -- the California Players Tour.
"I'm signed up and ready to go," he said Monday morning.
The California Players Tour -- which features both amateur and professional divisions -- kicks off later its 2006-07 slate at later this month at River Ridge Golf Course in Oxnard.
The tour's November host course is Cypress Ridge and in December Hunter Ranch Golf Course will be the stage for the two-day, 36-hole tournament.

-- Larry Mauter