Costa Mesa tournament tees off

Jim George won the first Costa Mesa City Golf Championship in 1973, so he figured he’d come back for more.

Every year but one.

“I’ve only missed one year,” George said. “That was 2004. I just wasn’t playing that much golf that year.”

George, who grew up in Costa Mesa and graduated from Estancia High in 1970, hasn’t won the amateur event since. George says he has been in the top 10 three or four times, including one third-place finish.

But he keeps on swinging in the annual two-day event, which tees off for the 34th consecutive year today at the Costa Mesa Country Club.

“The fact that I won the first one I guess draws me to the event,” said George, who lives in Lake Forest.

George also played at Golden West College and San Diego State.

The Costa Mesa City Championships award titles in the championship flight, the first flight, the second flight, the third flight (grouped by handicap) and the senior flight.

There are no handicaps in the championship flight, in which the top golfers compete.

Each flight competes one day on the club’s Mesa Linda course and one day on the Los Lagos course.

Championship flight golfers compete on the par-70 Mesa Linda course today, with tee times from 6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

They switch to the par-72 Los Lagos course on Sunday, when the leaders tee off from 11 to 11:40 a.m.

All other flights open on the Los Lagos course today from 6 a.m. to 2:10 p.m.

This most likely will be George’s last year in the championship flight. Now 54, will be eligible for the senior flight (55 and older) next year.

Other notable golfers joining George in the championship flight this year include defending champion Doug Martinez, who won with a two-day score of six-under-par 136, as well as past winners Greg Sato and Greg Howell.

Newport Coast resident Amit Chopra, who lost to Martinez in a sudden-death playoff last year, also is slated to compete, along with Newport Harbor High boys’ and girls’ golf coach Scott Tarnow and recent Estancia graduate Marcus Sostak, who will play collegiately at the University of Oregon.

Big Canyon Country Club senior men’s champion Warren Caves is slated to compete in the senior flight.