Sailor takes second

Bryce Alderton

Like a professional tournament that groups the leaders into the last

pairing for the final round, the concluding foursome in the girls

15-17 age division of the 15th annual Costa Mesa junior golf

championships Thursday decided three of the top five places.

Costa Mesa resident Natalie Draganza shot an even-par 35 on the

front nine on the Mesa Linda course and ended with a 5-over 75 to

finish second by five strokes behind playing partner Henna Cho (70).

Katie McKitterick, who will be a junior at Corona del Mar High in the

fall, shot 80 to finish fifth and was paired with Draganza and Cho.

Draganza, who will be a junior at Newport Harbor in the fall and

is the two-time defending Sea View League individual champion,

birdied two holes in the front nine, but she suffered two straight

double bogeys on Nos. 10 and 11 to fall off pace.

“I expected to play better than I did, but those two double bogeys

in a row messed my game up,” said Draganza, 15, who wasn’t concerned

with where she stood in relation to the lead. “I knew [Cho] was doing

well, but I was just trying to focus on my own game and not focus on

her score.”

Draganza’s finish was the best for any Newport-Mesa golfer entered

into the 132-player field of one of three Southern California PGA

junior championships held Thursday. Desert Falls Country Club in Palm

Desert and Simi Hills Golf Course in Simi Valley also hosted

tournaments.

Costa Mesa’s Ryan Knapp shot a 3-over 73 to place fourth out of 27

golfers in the boys 12-13 division for his best finish in five prior

tournaments. Knapp, 13, finished four strokes behind champion Darren

Saqui (69). Both golfers were paired in the final group.

Like Draganza, Knapp said he started strong on the front nine (35)

before encountering more trouble on the back nine (38).

Knapp was pleased with his tee shots and said he missed only two

fairways. He birdied the 453-yard, par-5 11th, hitting driver, 4-iron

to the back of the green and two-putting.

“It is tough competition,” said Knapp, whose younger brother

Jacob, 10, shot a 4-over 39 to finish sixth in the boys 11- and-under

division.

Greg Les, who will be a junior at Estancia this fall, shot an

even-par 70 to finish sixth, five strokes behind champion Chris Arkin

(65) in the boys 16-17 division, which had 33 players, the most of

any age bracket.

Newport Harbor senior-to-be Davis Pemstein shot 71 to finish in a three-way tie for seventh in the boys 16-17 division while Newport

Beach resident Scott Leimkuher carded one of four 72s to tie for

eighth. Estancia’s Marcus Sostak shot 74 to finish in 14th. Other

scores in the division included Costa Mesa resident Tim Cramer (77),

Corona del Mar resident Dane Pedersen (81), Estancia teammates Austin

Serr (83) and Garrett McMasters (83) and CdM’s Ben Tilsen (84).

Newport Beach resident Justin Moorehead shot a 5-over 75 to finish

11th, seven strokes more than champion Andrew Chang (68), in the boys

14-15 division, while Estancia’s Michael Charlesworth carded a 78.