Saiki wins LPGA event

Kim Saiki, who grew up playing on the Mesa Verde Country Club golf

course in Costa Mesa in the 1980s, won her first LPGA tournament with

a 14-under-par 274 on Sunday in Pittsfield, N.Y.

Although she moved to Las Vegas, Saiki has been an honorary member

at MVCC since 1991.

Saiki led the tournament wire-to-wire, beginning with a

6-under-par 66 June 24. But her victory was a thriller Sunday. She

began the final day just one stroke ahead of playing companion and

13-time winner, Rosy Jones. Jones took the lead on three separate

occasions, and they were tied going into 14.

Saiki regained the lead with a 5-foot birdie putt, and never

looked back. She said she was confident throughout the round, never

nervous, and in a zone, but the win gave her chills. Saiki beat some

of the best women players in the world, including Annika Sorenstam

and Julie Inkster.

Saiki was the MVCC Junior girls champion from 1979-1983. She

credits local pros Greg LaBelle, John Anselmo, and her family with

her early golfing prowess. In 1981, at age 15, she played in her

first LPGA tournament, the Kemper at MVCC.

In 1983, she won both the Junior World and USGA Junior girls

championships and was ranked the top junior in the US by Golf Digest.

She earned a scholarship to USC in 1984, where she was an NCAA

All-American, graduating in 1988 with a degree in public

administration.

Her pro career started as a five-time winner on the Players West

Golf Tour and a two-time winner on the Futures Tour. She earned her

LPGA tour card in 1991 and finished second four times before her

stunning victory on Sunday. The $225,000 ,first-place check boosted

her career earnings to $1.6 million, and ranks her 14th on the 2004 LPGA money list.

Siusser comes up short

* GOLF: Andrew Siusser of Newport Coast shot 91-91--182 in a U.S.

junior amateur championship qualifying round Tuesday at Cypress Ridge

Golf Course in Arroyo Grande, a 6,803-yard, par-72 layout.

Two golfers out of a field of 33, James Dalthorp III of Los

Angeles (146) and Kyle Takesue of Cerritos (147), qualified for the

U.S. junior amateur championship July 19-24 at the Olympic Club in

San Francisco.

Cadet team splits

* WATER POLO: The Newport Water Polo Foundation cadet team,

coached by Jason Lynch and Corey Delahunt, will be playing for fifth

place in the National Age Group championships at the Charter

All-Digital Centre in Long Beach.

The Newport team, age 15-and-under, consisting of players who also

compete at Newport Harbor High, defeated Midwest Zone, 10-3. Earlier

in the day, the squad lost to Pacific Southwest, 7-4.

The Newport Water Polo Foundation youth team is also competing in

the National Age Group championships.