Four Area Junior Golfers Join International Fields

Four young Spokane area golfers are headed for international competition after high finishes Friday in the Washington Junior Optimist Tournament at Olympia.

Michael Hastings, Ryan Camp and Sara Northcutt of Spokane qualified for berths in next month’s Optimist Junior World Tournament at San Diego. Charlie Nap of Spokane will play at Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., in the Optimist International.

Hastings and Camp finished second and third behind champion John Robertson of Olympia in Friday’s 36-hole event at Capitol City Golf Club. Northcutt wound up second behind girls champion Stephanie Linnell of Burlington.

Robertson carded rounds of 71-72 for a 143 total. Hastings scored 144, one stroke better than Camp, who dominated morning play with a 3-under 69 before soaring to a 76 in the afternoon. Nap shared fourth among the boys by shooting 146.

Linnell led the girls with a 153 total. Northcutt shot 160 to share second place with Jamie Jou of Redmond.

Entrants qualified by playing in six district events around the state. Spokane area participants included golfers from North Idaho.

Bill Porter, five strokes behind when the round began, roared from behind with a 4-under-par 68 and won the $81,400 Sunriver Open golf tournament at Sunriver, Ore.

Porter, a teaching pro from Quincy, Wash., finished with a 2-under 214. He was one shot better than second-round leader Jeff Daves of Redmond, Wash.

Defending champion Dan Koesters of Pullman finished at 218.

Kent Brown rode a finishing round of 66 to a 137 total that qualified him for next month’s National Public Links Championships.

Brown, from Spokane, finished one stroke ahead of Tim Waggoner and Kyle Kelly after two rounds at Downriver. The Publinx will be played July 14-19 at Lexington, Ky.

Soccer

The U15 Spokane Skyhawks girls and Aurora, Colo., tied 0-0 in the Pikes Peak Invitational Tournament at Colorado Springs.

The Skyhawks will face the host Colorado Springs Chargers today. The winner will advance to the semifinal round on Sunday.

American Legion baseball

Pitching ace Sean Ruscio held the North Stars to six hits and the league-leading Bandits combined nine hits and five North Stars errors for a 12-3 AAA victory in the first game of a Jackson Field doubleheader.

Joe Chimienti had two hits for the North Stars, including a double.

Justin Folkins had three hits and drove in three runs and Chris Hilsabeck contributed three hits as the Cannons thumped the Royals 13-6 in the nightcap.

All nine members of the Cannons starting lineup had at least one hit.

, DataTimes