Golf: Seven up!

Richard Dunn

With a flock of seven children under her wing, Colette Taormina of

Big Canyon Country Club doesn’t have any time to waste.

If she’s not playing with her family, Taormina plays mostly in

tournaments, even though she hardly practices.

“I have to have a reason to play golf,” said Taormina, who captured her

first women’s club championship last week in a Tigeresque comeback on the

back nine.

Coming from seven strokes down in the last nine holes to tie defending

club champion Sally Holstein, Taormina won a sudden-death playoff -- the

first playoff in Big Canyon history for a club championship -- and earned

her way into the prestigious Tea Cup Classic.

So, for the third time in as many years, Big Canyon will be represented

by a different player in the Tea Cup, the summertime golf tradition for

the women’s club champions in the Corona del Mar-Newport Beach-Costa Mesa

triangle.

Taormina, a Newport Coast resident whose large family has been with Big

Canyon since November 1998, will get the opportunity to play her home

course at the fourth annual Tea Cup Classic Aug. 11.

Each of the four private clubs in the area rotate as host site of the

event, which has been part of the Fletcher Jones Motorcars/Daily Pilot

Club Championship Series, and the 2000 Tea Cup Classic will be hosted by

Big Canyon.

“That’s what everyone’s telling me,” Taormina said of her club

championship, which awards an automatic berth into the Tea Cup. “I’ve

never watched (the Tea Cup) before, but I’ve read about it in the

newspaper. I’m not sure what to anticipate. I don’t know if I should

start getting nervous now or about mid-July. I guess people come out and

watch this.”

Taormina, whose primary instructor is Mesa Verde Country Club head pro

Tom Sargent, has been playing golf for about 12 years and been a member

at PGA West in La Quinta for 10. Her husband, Vince, started her in the

game.

“It’s a great family sport,” she said. “My husband and I can go out and

play and do something together as a couple. It’s been a wonderful sport.”

Taormina, who won her first club championship, and Holstein were tied at

342 after 72 holes. Martha Redfearn shot 343 and finished third.

Taormina, who started the final round in third place five shots off the

lead, birdied 17, but was still two strokes behind heading into 18.

Holstein’s approach shot at 18 landed in a bunker, then her sand shot

rolled into the water on the difficult finishing hole to open the door

for Taormina.

Taormina won the playoff hole when Holstein’s second shot hit the lake.

“It was pretty exciting going into the match,” Taormina said. “I tried to

give it my best, but I never dreamed I could come back from so far down.

It was a very exciting match. It got really exciting toward the end.”

Holstein played well in last year’s Tea Cup Classic at Mesa Verde, making

three birdies and shooting 84 to take third place.

Selby Schriber represented Big Canyon in the Tea Cup in 1997 and ‘98,

winning the inaugural silver tea set in ’97 at Newport Beach Country

Club.

Denise Woodard of Mesa Verde won her fifth consecutive club championship

and will once again be the Mesa Verde ambassador at Tea Cup Classic IV,

and she did it with a flourish, netting a 335 over the 72 holes of play.

Following Woodard was Izumi Sueoka, Natalie King and Debbie Brown.

Inclement weather has thrown a wrench into the club championship at Santa

Ana Country Club, where reigning champion and two-time defending Tea Cup

champion Marianne Towersey is trying to win her 16th club title in 19

years.

Next week, Debbie Albright will be gunning for her fifth straight Newport

Beach title.

A putting challenge and silent auction fund-raiser for veteran baseball

umpire Jack Wildes, a familiar face among Newport-Mesa School District

players in the last 40 years, will be May 27 at The Greens.

The inaugural Jack Wildes Golf for Life Putting Challenge from 8 a.m. to

noon will help raise funds for the Wildes family. He was diagnosed with

cancer in August 1999 and is facing the hardest game of his life.

In addition, the first Jack Wildes Sportsmanship Award was presented

Wednesday at the Wienerschnitzel Big West Invitational, a national high

school baseball tournament in Orange County. Wienerschnitzel is based in

Newport Beach.

The Greens (at Michelson and Jamboree in Irvine) is an 18-hole

putting-only facility with challenging fairways, bunkers and greens. The

Golf for Life event is headed by Costa Mesa’s Dave and Dana Wildes.

Details: (714) 540-1968.

The fifth annual We Care Golf Tournament, hosted by Tax & Financial

Group, will be May 15 at the Pelican Hill Golf Club to benefit the

Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants wishes to children who suffer from

life-threatening illnesses.

Tax & Financial Group adopted Make-A-Wish as its main charity after being

moved by heartwarming stories from children. All proceeds of the

tournament go directly to the fulfillment of granting wishes.

In the past four years, the tournament has raised nearly $250,000 to

grant 65 wishes. Details: (949) 233-8100.

Also May 15 is the Tommy Bahama Newport Beach Open for amateurs,

professionals and corporate foursomes at Newport Beach Country Club. The

event benefits the Newport Harbor Area Chamber of Commerce.

The tournament considers the amateur champion as the Newport Beach city

champion, even though anybody for any other city can enter. There will be

a shotgun start at 8 a.m. for pros and amateurs with handicaps of 12 and

under.

Among the tee prizes are Tommy Bahama shirts and a custom pair of

Foot-Joy golf shoes.

The annual Casino Night and Putting Contest will be held the Saturday

night prior to the event (May 13) at Sterling BMW in Newport Beach.

A purse of $10,000 in cash and prizes will be at stake in the Open

division. Perry Parker won last year’s pro title. Details: (949)

729-4400.

The 26th annual Newport Center Association Golf Tournament will be played

Monday at Newport Beach Country Club.

A nonprofit organization, NCA represents building owners and businesses

in Fashion Island and Newport Center. Proceeds from the tournament will

benefit the Newport-Mesa School District, honoring teacher-written grants

for all schools in the district. Details: (949) 644-4622.

Richard Dunn’s golf column appears every Thursday.