By Robert D. Thomas
Southern California Golf Association

Rob Thompson of Merced is still leading the 16th California Golf Association (CGA) Senior Amateur Championship by one shot after two rounds.  He’s just not sure why.

The 2004 winner of this event overcame a bizarre bad break to post a 4-over-par 76 today.  His two-day total of 146, 2 over par, leaves him where he started today, one shot in front of two players.  Charley Griswold of Ojai added a 74 today to his 73 of yesterday, while Frank Abbot of Napa slipped from a 72 yesterday to a 75 today; both are at 147.

Another shot back at 148 are Lee Jeberjahn of San Luis Obispo and Gary Vanier of Pleasant Hill, the 1982 California Amateur champion who was runner-up to Steve Bogan of Placentia last year.  Bogan, who began the day one shot off of the lead, ballooned to a 79 today and is tied for seventh at 150, still just four shots behind the leader.

The low 33 scorers will play a final round tomorrow.  Benign weather conditions have made for a tightly bunched field; just eight shots separate the leader from the other 32.

In the Senior Cup competition held concurrently with the first two rounds, the South rallied from an eight-shot deficit to defeat the North by one shot, 444-445.  MORE

Thompson, who played in one of the final groups today, was amazed to find himself in the championship  lead.  “I couldn’t buy a putt all day,” he said later, “and what happened on No. 11 was weird.”  Thompson’s tee shot on the 196-yard, par-3 hole struck a sprinkler head in front of the green and bounced over the green out of bounds.  “If that ball hits inches away, it probably rolls up for a birdie putt,” said Thompson.  “Instead, I make 6.  That’s golf, I suppose.”

Thompson made just one birdie all day, and the par-5 finishing hole was emblematic of his day.  The long hitter pulled his second shot into a bunker left of the green, leaving him almost an impossible explosion shot.  He blasted it into the fringe above and green and watched it roll only eight feet past the hole.  However, he proceeded to miss the uphill birdie putt.

Griswold continued his steady play, making two birdies, two bogeys and a double-bogey 6 on the 13th hole today.  Abbot had a birdie and two bogeys on the front nine and a double-bogey 5 on the 17th hole prevented him from claiming the lead from Thompson, who is bidding to become the just the second person ever to win more than one title (joining Jim McMurtrey, who has won three times).

Among the former champions to make the cut, 2005 titleholder Bob Olds of Brentwood (the Northern California version) is tied for seventh with Bogan after rounds of 75-75; and 2002 champion Ted Lyford of Redlands posted rounds of 76-77 -- 153 and is tied for 22nd.

Click HERE for Round 2 photo gallery.