Juniors converge on Santa Ana Country Club

The 32nd annual Santa Ana junior golf invitational Monday at Santa

Ana Country Club once again attracted some of the most talented

players in Southern California, including those from the Newport-Mesa

area.

A field of 140 golfers in seven boys and girls divisions competed

for division and overall titles.

Davis Pemstein, who will be a senior at Newport Harbor High this

fall, shot an even-par 72, finishing in a two-way tie for third in

the boys 16-17 division, one shot behind boys overall winner Phillip

Huffman.

Pemstein led all local boys finishers while Santa Ana Country

Club’s Piper Miller, last year’s overall girls champion, finished

fourth in the girls 15-17 division with a 79, four shots behind

winner Kylie Kimura (75) in an event run by the Southern California

PGA’s junior golf chapter.

Corona del Mar senior-to-be Katie Albright and Natalie Draganza,

who will be a Newport Harbor junior, each shot 89 to finish in a

five-way tie for eighth in the girls 15-17 division.

Costa Mesa resident Ryan Knapp shot 81 to finish fifth in the boys

12-13 division while brother Jacob Knapp carded a 43 in nine holes to

tie for sixth in the boys 11-and-under division. Santa Ana Country

Club’s Dan Darnell shot 79 and finished ninth in boys 14-15.

Lalita Patipaksiri, competing in the girls 12-13 division, shot 74

to finish first in the division and also claimed the overall title by

one stroke over Kimura.

Huffman and Patipaksiri will each have their names engraved on

perpetual trophies.

Huffman’s name will join a list that includes Masters champion

Phil Mickelson, who won the boys overall title when he was 14 in

1984, shooting a 74.

Dennis Paulson, a former junior club champion at Santa Ana and PGA

Tour winner, won the invitational back-to-back in 1977 and ’78.