Moon Ready to Defend Amateur Title

Roy Moon was born and raised in Southern California and recently completed his eligibility at UCLA, so it’s no surprise that the Southern California Golf Assn. amateur championship holds a special place for him.

“There are so many good players in Southern California,” said Moon, the defending champion. “It’s a local tournament, but it’s a big tournament.”

Its history gives it added importance. When the tournament gets underway today at Hillcrest Country Club in West Los Angeles, it will mark the 105th annual SCGA amateur, making it the second-oldest continually contested tournament in the country. Past winners include Tiger Woods and Al Geiberger.

Moon, 21, of North Hills, won the tournament last year at Torrey Pines and is trying to become the first repeat winner since Craig Steinberg in 1992.

“Repeating is a big goal for me,” Moon said. “You know everybody is looking at you, they know you won last year so they want to beat you. It makes it tougher, but I feel pretty good about my game right now.”

In last year’s SCGA amateur, he shot 74-65-72-71 at Torrey Pines and won by two over UCLA teammate and roommate Steve Conway.

This year Conway and USC’s Nico Bollini, the 2002 champion, figure to be Moon’s chief competition among the college-aged players, but a recent run of dominance by the under-25 crowd could come to an end at Hillcrest, a 6,474-yard traditional-styled course that figures to bring the mid-amateur players back into contention.

Last year at 7,300-yard Torrey Pines, the top five finishers were college players and no mid-amateurs finished at par or better.

In 2002 at 6,800-yard El Caballero, three college players went to a playoff. In 2001, at 6,700-yard La Jolla Country Club, nine of the top 12 finishers were college students.

This year at the shorter Hillcrest, length will take a back seat to accuracy because the rough is high and the greens are small.

Putting will also have added importance.

“It will bring a lot of different kinds of players into play,” Moon said.

“Whoever can hit the most greens is going to win. Three-putting is not going to be a big issue because the greens are so small so you’re going to have to hit it close, and you’re going to have to be in the fairway to have a chance.”

That seems to play into the hands of Steinberg, 46, not necessarily known for length, but a strong putter who plays well on short courses. His previous four titles have come at Lakeside, Fairbanks Ranch, Bel Air and Annandale.

Of the four, only the 6,900-yard Fairbanks Ranch was longer than 6,600 yards.

Steinberg, from Oak Park, is trying to become the second player to win five SCGA Amateur titles and the first to win titles in three different decades. His titles came in 1988, ‘91, ’92 and ’97.