Mesa Verde Country Club’s Baugh bears down to capture men’s

title

By: Bryce Alderton

The final piece to the Jones Cup puzzle came following the first

victory of sorts for Matt Baugh Sunday in the final round of Mesa

Verde Country Club’s men’s club championship.

The former Huntington Beach High standout erased a two-shot

deficit entering the final round and carded his second straight

1-over-par 72 to claim his first Mesa Verde Country Club men’s club

championship by four strokes.

Baugh, who joined the club in January, Mesa Verde head pro Tom

Sargent said, finished the three-round tournament 9-over (78-72-72 --

222), pacing four-time winner Pete Daley (75-74-77 -- 226). Dave

Irwin, the 2004 men’s champion, finished third (78-72-77 -- 227)

while three-time Mesa Verde champion Tom McGreevy placed fourth

(75-74-79 -- 228).

Baugh, who played at San Diego State, reached 4-under at one stage

during his final round and tallied consecutive birdies at Nos. 10-12

to distance himself from the rest of the field, Sargent said. Irwin

led Baugh by two strokes entering the third round.

Baugh will join women’s champion Akemi Khaiat, senior winner Bryan

Rolfe, Sargent and assistant Brett Brummett for team Mesa Verde in

the Jones Cup at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Santa Ana Country Club. They will

face Newport Beach, Big Canyon and Santa Ana country clubs in a two

best-ball format.

*

Khaiat, 21-time Santa Ana Country Club ladies champion Marianne

Towersey and reigning Big Canyon Country Club women’s winner Martha

Redfern all qualified for the United States Women’s Mid-Amateur

championship following a sectional round at Big Canyon Thursday.

Khaiat carded a 78 to tie for third, one stroke away from medalist

honors, while Towersey tied for sixth with an 80. Redfern shot 82 to

tie for 10th. The championship is Sept. 10-15 at Shadow Hawk in

Richmond, Texas. All three will participate in Tuesday’s Jones Cup.

*

Other scores from Mesa Verde’s men’s club championship are as

follows:

T5. Laurent Khaiat 79-80-77 -- 236

T5. Preston Murray 76-80-80 -- 236

T5. Greg Hopkins 78-73-85 -- 236

8. Bill Coleman 81-77-80 -- 238

9. David Sun 78-80-81 -- 239

T10. Tom BeGuelle 79-81-81 -- 241

T10. Bryan Rolfe 80-78-83 -- 241