County Open Golf : 6-Under 5-Hole Finish Puts Gunn Up by Two

Roger Gunn played solid golf for the first 13 holes in the second round of the Buie San Diego County Open at Torrey Pines Thursday.

Then he played spectacular golf.

Gunn eagled the par-5 14th hole, then had four consecutive birdies to finish the round with a nine-under-par 63. That gave him a two-round total of 13-under 131 and a two-shot lead over Howie Johnson heading into today’s final round.

“That was the easiest run on the course, and I wanted to jump on them,” Gunn said.

Gunn had three birdies on the front nine and then had seven consecutive pars before the eagle on 14.

His first shot went under a tree on 15, but Gunn made it on the green and sank a 12-foot putt for the first of the finishing birdies.

“The backswing was tight (constricted in the trees), but I made it up and in,” Gunn said. “Seve (Ballesteros) would have been proud of that one.”

Gunn should know. He had plenty of opportunity to watch Ballesteros--who has made a career out of turning terrible lies into winning shots--and other top golfers when he played on the European pro tour in 1986 and ’87.

Thursday’s round was the best of Gunn’s career, bettering his 66 in the third round of the Portugese Open in 1986. Gunn had his best finish on the European tour with an 11th place in that tournament.

“Hitting balls against Seve and Bernhard (Langer) is great,” said Gunn, who is from Napa. “The European tour is catching up fast with the American tour. It’s where the American tour was six or seven years ago.”

Gunn would like to find out what the PGA Tour is like now. He missed qualifying on his first attempt but plans to try tour school again this fall.

The $4,500 first-place prize is not the only reason Gunn will be trying to hang on to his lead today. He also would like to have a different answer the next time somebody asks him what tournaments he has won.

Gunn’s only victory is the Anteater Invitational, which he won twice while at UCLA.

“I call it the Irvine Invitational,” Gunn said of the tournament hosted by UC Irvine. “My roommate on the road always says: ‘You won the Anteater, get out of here.’ ”

Johnson, from Newport Beach, shot a 66 Thursday for his 133 total. Mark Burk of Los Angeles shot a 65 and is at 135.

Victor Regalado of San Diego, the first-round leader with a 64, shot a one-over 73 and is tied for fourth at 137.

“This game is up and down. You never know what’s going to happen,” said Regalado, who has played on the PGA Tour. Regalado had three birdies but also two bogeys and a double bogey, when he three-putted the par-4 fourth hole.

Geoffrey Dean, who plays at the University of San Diego, shot a 71 and leads the amateur field with a 4-under 140. Greg Attiyeh is three shots back after a 73 Thursday.

Sixty-one golfers made the cut of 1-over 145. Ten made the amateur cut of 153.

The final round starts at 7 a.m. today, with the leaders going off at 8:30 a.m.