Steinberg Gains Amateur Golf Quarterfinals

MONTEREY — Craig Steinberg, an optometrist from Van Nuys, won two rounds of match play Thursday to advance to the quarterfinals of the 77th California Amateur Golf Championship at Pebble Beach.

Steinberg, 30, defeated Loy Martin of Palo Alto, 2 and 1, in the morning and edged Dave Sheff of San Marino, 3 and 2, in the afternoon to qualify for a match this morning against Bob Marten of Alamo.

Marten eliminated Mitch Voges of Simi Valley, 2 and 1, and Patrick Lay of Turlock, 4 and 3, in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

James Nello of Westlake Village was defeated by Sheff, the 1986 Southern California amateur champion, on the 19th hole Thursday. Nello, 18, shot 227 in three days of stroke play earlier this week to qualify for match play.

Steinberg, who graduated from USC in 1980, shot 218 in stroke play to tie for second with Pat Duncan of Rancho Santa Fe. Aaron Meeks of Walnut was stroke-play champion at 215.

The match-play finalists play a 36-hole match Saturday.