Robert Carver of Fullerton, also a member of Hacienda Golf Club, holds a three-stroke lead going into the final round Tuesday. (photo: Katie Denbo)

By Robert D. Thomas
Robert Carver of Fullerton will be chasing some significant history tomorrow in the final round of the 30th Southern California Golf Association (SCGA) Senior Amateur Championship.

The 72-year-old Carver, playing on his home course (he’s the current club champion), bettered his age by two shots today and his 1-under-par 70 gives him a three-shot lead over three golfers after 18 holes. SCGA officials believe he is the first golfer ever to better his age in an SCGA championship and he is seeking to become the oldest golfer ever to win an SCGA individual title.

Carver, who won the SCGA Super Senior in 2004 and 2005, is also eight shots ahead Mas Matsumoto of Monterey Park in that event for golfers age 65 and older that runs concurrently with the Senior Amateur (which is for golfers age 55 and higher). He’s bidding to become the first golfer to win both titles.

“I played pretty well today,” said Carver in one of the all-world understatements. He posted three birdies and two bogies on his round over a venerable layout that was recently redesigned by John Harbottle.

Carver is three shots in front of a trio of golfers that includes former two-time USGA Senior Amateur champion Kemp Richardson of Laguna Niguel, Scott Parker of Placentia and Rick Herrera of Orange.

All three had chances to get closer to Carver. Herrera bogeyed four consecutive holes before finishing his round with a par 4. Richardson, who has also won British and Canadian Senior Amateur titles, had two bogeys coming home, while Parker bogeyed three of his final five holes.

Four shots back of Carver is a group of six golfers that includes defending and two-time champion Steve Bogan of Placentia. Bogan’s roller-coaster round began with him making two bogeys and a double-bogey in his first 10 holes, then posting three birdies and two bogeys coming home.

Tee times for the final round tomorrow begin at 8:30 a.m., with the lead group — Carver, Richardson and Herrera — going off at 10:27 a.m. Live scoring will be at www.scga.org.