South Wins All-Star Golf Match Again

NEWPORT BEACH — Ben Garner’s birdie on the 17th hole helped the South defeat the North, 13-11, in the Southern California PGA Orange County All-Star Golf match Thursday at Newport Beach Country Club.

Garner, from El Toro, made a six-foot putt to move into a tie in his match with Esperanza’s Chris Berry and put him and Santa Margarita’s Ben Bost 1-up on Berry and Ryan Henderson, also of Esperanza.

The lead held and Garner and Bost won five of six possible points. Kevin Walden of Corona del Mar and Kevin Rodgers of Trabuco Hills also totaled five points for the South, defeating Ryan Chavez of El Dorado and Bret Yunker of Los Alamitos.

The South has won the tournament, which features the top 16 seniors in the county, in each of the six times it has been held.

Edison’s Dave Searle and Huntington Beach’s Greg Uberuaga gave the South an early 6-0 lead, closing out Estancia’s Chris Sandro and Dana Hills’ Matt Johnson after the 12th hole. The other foursome--the South’s Aaron Smith of Dana Hills and Kellee Booth of Santa Margarita vs. the North’s Bryon Bell of Western and Mike Peterson of Brea-Olinda--split the six points.