Golf: Mills wins Derby at Santa Ana CC

Richard Dunn

After a long clubhouse remodeling project, the scene was

spectacular at Santa Ana Country Club last weekend for The Derby, the

prestigious annual men’s member/guest event.

Last year, the club was under construction during the three-day Derby,

but everything was back to picture perfect this year.

“(The remodeled clubhouse) is beautiful, and the tournament was

great,” said Mike Reehl, Santa Ana’s Director of Golf and head

professional.

Grabbing top net honors in the time-honored Derby, which changes the

playing format each day during the competition, were Don Mills of Santa

Ana and guest Ray Casciari (Yorba Linda). Club member Lloyd Charton and

guest John Passenissi (Old Ranch) placed second, while Santa Ana’s Ray

Pacini and guest Peter Koetting (Big Canyon) finished third.

Winning low gross was the team of member Kerry Smith and guest Mike

Gibson (El Niguel), who finished at 3-under-par 213. The first day was

best ball, the second day was the Chapman format (alternating shots),

then the third day was best ball again. Santa Ana Country Club’s Gabe

Loya was the chairman of The Derby.

Charton also won the club’s recent President’s Cup, defeating Dick

Hoagland, 2 and 1, in the championship match. It was Charton’s first

title.

Speaking of initial titles, Santa Ana’s Gregg Hemphill added his name

to the long and distinguished list of men’s club champions at the oldest

golf club in Orange County.

Hemphill recently defeated five-time winner Boyd Martin in a 36-hole

match-play final at Santa Ana, 1 up.

Hemphill led the entire way, but Martin pulled to within one shot

several times, including with two holes left.

On the 34th hole, the par-4 No. 16, Martin made birdie and Hemphill

made bogey to slice Hemphill’s lead to one.

Then, at the par-3 No. 17, both players were a little short off the

tee. Hemphill chipped to about 17 feet and Martin chipped to four feet of

the stick, setting up a possible deadlock.

But Hemphill made his long putt for par, then Martin, with the

pressure on, sank his putt as the two headed to the par-5 No. 18 with

Hemphill leading, 1 up. They both made par at 18 as Hemphill secured his

first Santa Ana club championship.

The club held its first championship in 1925.

Three-time defending champion Chris Veitch did not play this year in

order to participate in his daughter’s wedding.

The George Yardley golf tournament June 25 at Newport Beach Golf

Course, aptly named Yardley VIII, will benefit the Newport Harbor High

football program, as well as the golf program, tournament chairman

emeritus Buck Johns said.

Last year’s Yardley VII raised $23,000 for the Sailors’ golf program.

This year marks the transition of the event from the energetic

leadership of Johns and his wife, Colleen, along with Bruce Akins and

Mark Whitfield, to a new tournament committee, which understands the

special character of the event that has been the envy of golf

fund-raisers for several years.

The quality of the tournament remains high with Yardley, the

Basketball Hall of Famer, as the heart and soul.

The field of invited players is set for Tea Cup Classic V (tentatively

scheduled for Aug. 1) as Debbie Albright won the Newport Beach Country

Club title Friday by 19 strokes.

Albright will join Big Canyon Country Club’s Olivia Slutzky, a

first-time player in the locally famous Tea Cup Classic, Mesa Verde

Country Club’s Denise Woodard and Santa Ana Country Club’s Marianne

Towersey, the three-time defending champion.

Nearly $165,000 was raised for Childhelp USA at last week’s golf

tournament at Pelican Hill Golf Club, where celebrity host Rich Saul, the

former All-Pro center for the Rams, was joined by former teammates Reggie

Doss, Lawrence McCutcheon, Merlin Olsen, Vince Ferragamo and Dennis

Harrah.

Mehdi Eftekari of the Four Seasons Hotel brought along some friends in

our group, including former U.S. Secret Service agent Lee Wagoner, who

knew the layout at Pelican Hill’s Ocean North course well because of his

years on President Bush’s detail. Bush often played at Pelican Hill.

Richard Dunn’s golf column appears every Thursday.