Another summertime bash at Mesa Verde

A two-shot lead heading into the final 18 holes Tuesday didn’t deter

Eric Wang’s comeback attempt in the Southern California Golf

Association’s Mid-Amateur golf championship held at Costa Mesa’s Mesa

Verde Country Club.

Wang, of Cypress, saved his best for last, shooting a 1-under-par

69 to finish the 54-hole tournament at 2-under, three shots ahead of

Clay Long, who had the lead at 3-under heading into the final 18

holes Tuesday. Long tallied a 74 on the final day to finish at 211.

Long birdied seven holes over the tournament compared to Wang’s

five, but Wang had the edge in pars with 46. Long parred 39 of the 54

holes.

Wang shot 1-under on the par 3s while Long played the same holes

at 1-over. Wang also held a slim advantage on the par 4s, going even

over the 54 holes while Long was 1-over on the same stretch.

Scott McGihon, who won the tournament when it was held at Big

Canyon Country Club last year, finished in a tie for 29th place,

shooting a 15-over 225 for the three days.

Golfers, who must be at least 25 years old to enter, played 36

holes Monday. The field of 84 was trimmed in half after the first 36

holes.

Newport Beach’s Ed Susolik and David Franey both failed to make

the cut.

Franey had glimpses of glory when he birdied the 383-yard par-4

sixth hole and followed up with a 2 on the 222-yard par-3 seventh.

Craig Steinberg birdied 12 holes to lead the field in that

category.

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Big Canyon will host its men’s club championship next month.

The first of four days of the 72-hole, stroke-play event will be

Sept. 18.

The men’s club champion will join Dave Irwin as title holder for

the coming year at one of Newport-Mesa’s four private courses. Irwin

won the men’s title at Mesa Verde two weeks ago. Each club champion

earns a spot in the annual Jones Cup, a better-ball of partners

format which pairs the men’s title holder with a member of that

course’s golf staff, usually the head professional.

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Work is going smoothly on Hoag Hospital’s Women’s Pavilion, which

has received substantial proceeds from Toshiba Senior Classic funds

in the last several years.

The skeleton of the seven-story facility should be completed by

September. A 423-foot tall crane weighing 1.4 million tons is

responsible for the steel lifting. The crane can lift 84,000 pounds

up to 230 feet in the air.

The pavilion, which is scheduled to open in late 2005, will

include a breast care and imaging center and continence center along

with osteoporosis and perimenopausal clinics.

Forty-two private rooms will be reserved for birthing needs and

the pavilion will also include 82 patient rooms each equipped with

day beds and a dining area for family members, an Internet outlet and

an interactive television.