Tournament Back at Newport Coast

One of golf’s postseason tournaments is returning to Newport Coast. The event formerly known as the Diners Club Matches, now the Team Match Play Challenge pending a new title sponsor, is set for Dec. 16-17 at Pelican Hill Golf Club.

The event, which features eight players from each of the PGA, Senior PGA and LPGA tours, moved to Pelican Hill from PGA West in La Quinta in 1999 after a one-year hiatus.

Reviews were generally positive for the made-for-TV tournament. Although attendance was at least 50% lower than organizers expected, the course came off well on television, giving viewers shots of the Newport Coast from a blimp.

“The coverage that ABC did for us was spectacular,” said Rob Ford, Pelican Hill director of golf. Ford said the exposure, including commercials that ran during the telecast, helped introduce the course to a national audience.

“We had two 30-second spots that we did during the program,” Ford said. “We got a lot of calls from that. We’re still getting calls from that.”

The Irvine Co., which owns Pelican Hill, and Jack Nicklaus Productions, which owns the tournament, reached an agreement this month to bring the event back, but there will be some changes.

Last year, the tournament was held over 14 holes of the Ocean North course and the final four of the Ocean South, forcing spectators to make a long walk from the 14th to the 15th hole.

This year only the north course will be used and tournament director Gary Pollard said a shuttle service will be set up to help galleries get around the hilly layout.

“There might be some people who say, ‘Gee, I don’t want to go out there and make that walk again.’ ” Pollard said. “We’re going to have to get the word out that we’re striving to improve pedestrian traffic.”

Ticket prices will also be decreased, Pollard said. Last year, a three-day pass that included access to practice rounds was $125. Single-day passes on the weekend were $65. Pollard estimated attendance was 3,500 on Saturday and 5,500 on Sunday.

“I think the prices were right last year,” Pollard said, “but the public thought differently.”

The event has the beginnings of a popular field with defending champions Fred Couples and Mark Calcavecchia, Juli Inkster and Dottie Pepper and Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus expected to return.

ALMOST MAY DAY

Orange County narrowly missed having a third consecutive PGA Tour victory by a native son, when Bob May finished second in the FedEx St. Jude Classic Sunday.

First Dennis Paulson, a Costa Mesa High graduate, won the Buick Classic June 11. Then Tiger Woods, that noted player from Western High, won the U.S. Open.

May, who grew up in La Habra, was in good shape to keep the string going, leading the tournament after the second and third rounds. He struggled with his putter on the back nine Sunday, missing short par putts on the 12th and 14th holes.

He battled back and had a chance to force a playoff with Notah Begay III but missed an eight-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole.

May got a nice consolation prize, however. His career-high $264,000 check was nearly twice as much as he had earned in 13 previous tournaments and pushed him from 132 to 68 on the money list. May has had a strong two weeks. He finished tied for 23rd at the U.S. Open.

BOLLINI QUALIFIES

Nico Bollini, who will be a senior at Servite, shot a two-round total of 147 June 19 at Canterwood Golf Club in Seattle and qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship.

Chris Heintz of Brea and Matt Schreiber of Laguna Niguel each shot 146 last Thursday at Western Hills in Chino and are alternates.

Bollini, The Times’ Orange County golfer of the year, will join the 144-player field July 31-Aug. 5 at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Course in North Plains, Ore.

MAD SCRAMBLE

Rancho San Joaquin in Irvine and Meadowlark in Huntington Beach are among the 300 golf courses nationwide that will hold local qualifying tournaments for the first Playboy Scramble.

Teams of four will compete in a scramble format for the right to advance to regional and a national championship. Those qualifying for the finals are also invited to a celebration at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles.

Information: www.playboyscramble.com

SHOT DOWN

When Steve Conway hooked his second shot out of bounds and made triple-bogey on the par-five eighth hole in the final round of the Southern California Amateur Championship, he still was tied for the lead.

It was clear, however, that the shot eventually cost him the tournament.

He hit his provisional in almost the same spot, but this one stayed in bounds.

His next three tee shots went well right, but he managed to save par on all three. On No. 12, however, he hit way left off the tee and it led to a double-bogey that dropped him out of the lead. The 18-year-old eventually finished second.

Conway, who had seven consecutive pars before the fateful shot, said he would go for the green on No. 8 again.

“Up to that point I hadn’t hit a bad shot,” he said. “And the day before I got there from further away and into the wind.”

BEAUMONT OPENING

The PGA of Southern California Golf Club in Beaumont officially opens to the public Saturday.

The newest addition to the Southern California golf scene is 36 holes of championship golf. Greens fees are $50 during the week and $75 on weekends and holidays, including cart. For tee times and more information: (877) 742-2500.

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Staff writer Peter Yoon contributed to this report.

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Tee Times

A look at upcoming tournaments in the region or major events involving top regional players:

* 26-28: AJGA Junior All-Star Classic, Kingwood Country Club, Kingwood, Texas.

* 26-29: AJGA OSSO Junior, Oak Tree Country Club, Okla.

* 26-29: AJGA Langdon Farms Junior Classic, Langdon Farms Golf Club, Portland, Ore.

* 26-30: IZZO Cup Ullna Golf Course, Stockholm, Sweden

* 27: SCPGA Pro-Junior Championship, Temeku GC, Temecula.

* 27: Tom Flores Boy Scout Invitational, Pelican Hill GC. Benefits Scouting with Disabilities, an outreach program of the Boy Scouts of America designed to serve developmentally challenged children. Information: (213) 413-4400.

* 28-30: Long Beach Women’s Championship, El Dorado GC, Skylinks GC, Recreation Park GC.

* 29: U.S. Junior Amateur Qualifying, Singing Hills Resort, El Cajon.

* 30: SCPGA Pro-Junior Championship, San Luis CC, Bonsall.

* 3-6: AJGA Junior, Mission Hills Country Club, Palmer Course, Rancho Mirage, Calif.

* 5: U.S. Amateur Entry Deadline.

* 6: SCGA Mid-Amateur Qualifying, SCGA Member’s Club, Murrieta.

* 8-9: Oxnard City Championship, River Ridge GC, Oxnard.

* 10: SCPGA Skins Game, Monterey CC, Palm Desert.

* 10: SCPGA Metropolitan Chapter Event, San Gabriel CC.

* 10: SCPGA Pinehurst Championship, River Ridge GC, Pacific.

* 11: SCGA Mid-Amateur Qualifying, Crystalaire CC, Llano; Rancho San Marcos GC, Santa Barbara.

* 12: SCGA Mid-Amateur Qualifying, Warner Springs Ranch.

* 10-14: AJGA Tournament of Champions, Serrano CC, El Dorado Hills.

* 14-16: Long Beach City Championship, El Dorado, Skylinks, Recreation Park GC, Long Beach.

* 17-22: California Amateur Championship, Bayonet and Blackhorse GC, Seaside.

* 17-20: AJGA Junior Classic, Trophy Lake GC, Seattle.

* 18-21: California State Open at PGA of Southern California Golf Club, Beaumont.

* 19: U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship entry deadline.

* 19-21: California Senior Amateur Championship, Poppy Hills GC.

* 24-27: AJGA Junior Classic, La Purisima GC, Lompoc.

* 24-27: AJGA Betsy Rawls Girls’ National Championship, DuPont CC, Wilmington, Del.

* 24-27: AJGA Boys’ Junior Championship, Dallas Athletic Club, Dallas.

* 25-26: SCGA Affiliate Team Championship, River Course at the Alisal, Solvang.

* 27-29: Moreno Valley City Championship, Moreno Valley Ranch GC.

* 31: U.S. Amateur Sectional Qualifying, Apple Valley CC; Seven Oaks CC, Bakersfield; Friendly Hills CC, Whittier.