Golf: Local junior wins Long Beach Open

Richard Dunn

LONG BEACH - Jason Cassidy of Costa Mesa won the Long Beach Open

boys 15-16 age division Sunday at Recreation Park Golf Course, shooting a

sizzling 6-under-par 66.

Cassidy, who made six birdies, is Estancia High’s top returning

golfer. He’ll be a junior in the fall. Cassidy plays regularly on the

American Junior Golf Association circuit for highly competitive players.

Debbie Albright of Newport Beach Country Club is the first to confirm

for Tea Cup Classic V, the locally famous event for the four women’s club

champions in the Daily Pilot circulation.

Albright won this year’s Newport Beach title by 19 strokes, extended

her streak of consecutive club championships to six.

The Tea Cup Classic, played under the auspices of the Fletcher Jones

Motorcars/Daily Pilot Club Championship Series, is July 27 at Newport

Beach Country Club.

In Tea Cup Classic V, Albright is expected to face Denise Woodard

(Mesa Verde Country Club), Olivia Slutzky (Big Canyon Country Club) and

three-time defending champion Marianne Towersey (Santa Ana Country Club).

They tee off at 1 p.m.

Although it’s unconfirmed, the four amateurs expected to play in the

second annual Jones Cup Aug. 14 at Santa Ana Country Club are all

reigning men’s club champions: Gregg Hemphill of the hosting club, Pete

Daley of Mesa Verde, Ron Maggard of Big Canyon and Vinnie Brascia of

Newport Beach.

Golf pros Paul Hahn (Newport Beach), Tom Sargent (Mesa Verde), Bob

Lovejoy (Big Canyon) and Mike Reehl (Santa Ana) will team with the

amateurs.

After success with the Tea Cup Classic, which was started to promote

women’s golf and more closely connect the local golf community, the Jones

Cup opened last summer at Newport Beach, Mesa Verde won the perpetual

trophy.

The Jones Cup pro-am format is better-ball of partners over 18 holes,

with two teams playing in a group. The two groups tee off back-to-back

with galleries in tow. A pre-event drawing is held to decide which two

clubs play in a group.