Rho Begins Title Defense at Junior World

Defending champion Angela Rho of Fullerton shot par 72 in the first round of the Junior World Championship Tuesday at Torrey Pines in La Jolla and is in third place, four strokes behind leader Aree Wonglukiet of Thailand.

Angela Won of Irvine opened with 76 and is in a tie for 20th.

In the boys’ division, Nico Bollini of Yorba Linda shot par 72 and is in 21st place, four strokes behind leader Ryan Keeney of Redmond, Wash.

SCGA MID-AM QUALIFYING

George Windsor of Laguna Niguel shot four-under 68 last Wednesday at Warner Springs Ranch and was medalist in qualifying for the SCGA Mid-Amateur.

Other county residents who qualified at Warner Springs Ranch were: Ed Susolik of Newport Beach, who shot 71; Jay Miller (Trabuco Canyon, 72); Robert Forster (Huntington Beach, 72) and Eric Smith (San Clemente, 73).

Mark Les of Costa Mesa qualified by shooting 75 on July 6 at the SCGA Members’ Club. The SCGA Mid-Amateur, for amateurs 25 years and older, is Aug. 28-29 at Virginia Country Club in Long Beach.

CONWAY MISSES CUT

Steve Conway of Irvine shot a second-round 78 Tuesday at Blackhorse Golf Course in Seaside and missed the cut in the California Amateur Championship with a two-day total of 152.

Conway, who graduated from Santa Margarita High last month and will attend UCLA in the fall, was co-medalist in the tournament at Pebble Beach last year. Tuesday, he missed a playoff for the final match-play spot by one stroke.

Todd Miller of Napa, son of NBC golf analyst and former U.S. Open champion Johnny Miller, shared medalist honors with James Stewart of La Mesa at 143.

The top 32 players advance to match play. No one from Orange County is included.

JUST SHORT IN LONG BEACH

Alex Oh of Hawaiian Gardens, a former Brea Olinda High standout, shot his third consecutive 70 in the final round of the Long Beach City Championship Sunday at El Dorado Park and finished third, three strokes behind Clark Corbett of Long Beach and Brian Merrick, also of Long Beach.

Corbett, who shot 73-68-66--207, won the title in a one-hole playoff.

Nick Seymour of Tustin, a Foothill High graduate and the first-round leader after opening with 65, shot 71-76 in the final two rounds and finished tied for fifth at 212.

The top five finishers receive an amateur berth in the Long Beach Open July 27-30 at El Dorado Park.

UCI SIGNS YATES

Nate Yates of Irvine, a recent graduate of Woodbridge High, has signed with UC Irvine, Woodbridge Coach Tracy Roberts said Tuesday.

Yates, a second-team all-county selection by The Times, was runner-up in the Sea View League individual tournament and set the school single-match record by shooting five-under 31 on nine holes at Rancho San Joaquin.

AJGA UPDATES

Breene Murphy of Los Alamitos shot an opening-round one-over 73 Tuesday at the AJGA Compaq Junior Championship at Trophy Lake Golf Club in Port Orchard, Wash., and is in third place, two strokes behind leader Greg Lavoie of Pasco, Wash.

Ryan Carter of Hacienda Heights, who will be a senior at Servite, is four strokes back in eighth place.