Veitch claims title

Chris Veitch made a late charge, thrived on the back nine and won the

Santa Ana Country Club men’s club championship a fifth time with a 3

and 2 victory over 2004 champion Bill Welch in the scheduled 36-hole

final round recently.

Of Veitch’s five birdies in 34 holes, four came on the back nine,

including two on the par-4 16th.

Veitch, who also won the club’s senior-stroke play championship in

December, took the lead for good with a par 4 on the seventh hole --

the 25th hole of the round. He increased the lead to 2 up with a par

3 on the 208-yard 14th and clinched the match with his second birdie

of the day on the 418-yard, par-4 16th to win.

Welch also carded five birdies and jumped to 2 up with a 3 on the

par-4 fourth hole. Veitch moved to even par with a par 5 on the

522-yard 15th hole and took his first lead with a birdie on the par-5

18th. Welch went 1 up with a par on the par-4 fourth hole before

Veitch evened the match with a par on the 188-yard, par-3 sixth hole.

Both Veitch and Welch reached the final from an eight-player

championship flight.

Both players will represent Santa Ana Country Club when the club

hosts this year’s Jones Cup on Aug. 30.

*

The 16th annual Costa Mesa junior championship is Tuesday at Costa

Mesa Golf & Country Club’s Mesa Linda course with tee times beginning

at 7 a.m.

The Newport-Mesa contingent includes Corona del Mar High teammates

David Su and Justin Morehead in the same foursome at 7:22 in the boys

16-17 division; Newport Beach’s Jack Francis is also entered in boys

16-17. Corona del Mar’s Katie McKitterick and Newport Beach’s Jessica

Milner are in the same foursome that tees off at 10:45 a.m. in the

girls 15-17 division. Newport residents Kelly Kawata, Michelle

Drucker and Jungwon Kim are also entered into the girls 15-17

division. The boys 14-15 division includes Costa Mesa residents Ryan

Knapp and Andrew Ayala, along with Newport’s Stewart Hagestead,

Braden Cluck and Taylor Keddington. Newport Beach’s Mike Moorehead

and Tanner Trauthen are entered into the boys 12-13 division. Corona

del Mar’s Katherine Hanson, Costa Mesa’s Lauren Draganza, along with

Newport Coast’s Karine Shaw and Newport Beach’s Kelly Moorehead, are

entered in the girls 12-14 bracket. Newport Coast residents Hale

Furey and Sean Shaw, along with Costa Mesa’s Jacob Knapp and Eli

Gomez are in the boys 11-and-under division and Costa Mesa resident

Ashley Peters is in girls 11-and-under.

*

Entries are still being accepted for all four flights of the Costa

Mesa city championship Aug. 6-7 at Costa Mesa Golf & Country Club.

Cost per player is $195 for either the championship, senior (55

and older), which will have a gross and net winner, first or second

flight. The tournament is open to players 18 and older.

Call (714) 540-7500, ext. 3, for more information. Completed entry

forms can be mailed to: Costa Mesa City Championship, Attn: Sean

Collins, 1701 Golf Course Dr., Costa Mesa, 92626. Make checks payable

to Mesa Verde Partners.

-- Bryce Alderton