Ducks’ Benedetti cruises to victory

When you shoot seven-under-par 63 on the first day of a two-day amateur tournament, you’re probably going to come out the next day pretty relaxed.

When University of Oregon golfer Joey Benedetti performed the feat on Saturday to earn a two-stroke lead at the Costa Mesa Country Club, it made Sunday a lot easier.

Benedetti, who will be a junior at Oregon this fall, played steady golf on Sunday on the par-72 Los Lagos course, carding a two-under 70 to post a two-day score of nine-under 133. It was good enough to win the championship flight of the Costa Mesa City Golf Championships.

“Oh yeah,” Benedetti said. “I knew if I could stay even par and make everyone try to stay with me, that I’d be in good shape. With the pin placements the way they were, I knew it’d be tough for anyone to make too many birdies.”

Benedetti was the only player in his threesome to go without a cart, but he didn’t show any fatigue near the end of his round. He carded birdies on the last two holes.

On the par-three, 183-yard 17th hole, Benedetti landed on the green with his drive, then nailed an eight-foot birdie putt to go one under on the day.

Benedetti, who consistently out-drove playing partners Amit Chopra and Kevin Irwin, again was closest to the hole off the tee and on the green after his fairway drive on the 18th hole. He missed a 12-foot eagle putt before knocking in a three-foot birdie putt to conclude his day at two-under 70.

“My ball-striking was definitely the key for me,” Benedetti said. “I didn’t putt that great. But I only missed like three greens during the whole tournament.”

It was the second time Benedetti has played in the tournament. The last time was 2004, after he had just graduated from Huntington Beach High.

“I haven’t played these courses since high school,” Benedetti said. “But I had some memory of a lot of the holes.”

Benedetti is happy to be going back to Oregon with a good tournament showing under his belt.

“It feels great,” said Benedetti, who won a $500 gift certificate to the Costa Mesa Country Club pro shop for winning the championship flight. “I’ve been struggling most of the summer. It felt great to put two good rounds together.”

Benedetti had a 74 average as a sophomore at Oregon last season. When he returns to Eugene, he’ll have a new teammate in Estancia High graduate Marcus Sostak.

Sostak captured three consecutive Golden West League individual golf titles.

“I played with [Sostak] when he was on a recruiting trip,” Benedetti said. “He’s a really good player. He’ll fit right in.”

Sostak didn’t fare quite as well at this event, carding an eight-over 78 on the Mesa Linda course on Saturday and a four-over 76 on the Los Lagos course on Sunday for a two-day total of 154.

Chopra, a USC graduate and Newport Coast resident, finished tied for third behind Scott Travers, who tallied a Sunday-best 68 to finish second at 139.

Chopra shot 66 Saturday, but carded a 74 on the Los Lagos course on Sunday, when he finished his round in dramatic fashion.

Chopra appeared to be plunging after carding two consecutive bogeys heading into the par-five, 522-yard 18th hole. But Chopra found himself 30 feet from the hole going for an eagle. Chopra’s chip from the rough rattled into the hole and he threw his arms up in the air.

“I just wanted to hit a good, aggressive chip and it worked out,” Chopra said. “I finally gave myself an uphill chip after a lot of downhill chips and it went in.”

“I was struggling today,” Chopra said. “I hit the ball off the tee poorly, but I tried to hang in there. Sometimes it’s not your day.”

Chopra lost a sudden-death playoff to Doug Martinez to finish second last year.

“Maybe the third time will be a charm,” Chopra said.

Also finishing at 140 was Sean Shahi, Adam Marshall and Robert Mink Jr.

Shahi shot three-under 69 on the Los Lagos course Sunday after carding a one-over 71 Saturday on the Mesa Linda course.

Irwin, who will be a senior at Aliso Niguel High, put himself among the leaders on Saturday by shooting 65 on the Mesa Linda course, came unraveled a bit on Sunday, carding an 81 on the Los Lagos course.

Irwin finished with a two-day score of 146, good for 25th place, just edging out former Costa Mesa High baseball star Matt Broesamle (147).

Martinez finished tied for ninth with Jeff Thomas at 142.