Richard Dunn
Jeff Wright of Newport Beach Country Club came home early from a
recent Hawaiian vacation to play in a member/guest golf tournament,
and, on a few occasions, didn't know what to do with an empty house
while his wife and kids stayed on the islands.
"I'm a bachelor this weekend," Wright quipped. "What are you doing
tonight?"
Wright, a former Orange County Player of the Year in boys golf at
Corona del Mar High, will have plans Friday in Jones Cup III at Big
Canyon Country Club at 1 p.m. He will tee it up with Newport Beach
head professional Paul Hahn in the pro-am better-ball of partners
format.
"I know I still have some game, but I feel like I'm kind of
relying on my past glory," Wright said. "I think the last tournament
that I won was the club championship at Dove Canyon two years ago.
It's funny to see these stories in the paper about me. I don't feel
I'm worthy."
Wright, a Daily Pilot Sports Hall of Famer based on his stellar
prep career and a former UC Irvine standout, enjoyed a six-shot lead
after the second round of the 54-hole Newport Beach men's club
championship this year, but was disqualified after a ruling that
occurred on the sixth hole of the opening round.
Wright couldn't find his tee shot at No. 6, so he went back to hit
another ball. Then, just as Wright was hitting his second shot, his
partners found his first ball, which might have been rolled over by
the wheel of a golf cart.
Nevertheless, as Wright was coming down from his backswing to
launch a second tee shot, his partners were waving their arms in the
distance after finding his first ball.
"They technically found my ball before I struck my second shot,
that's the rules interpretation," said Wright, who made the mistake
of hitting his first ball, which prompted the disqualification.
"If I broke a rule, then (the disqualification) should stand. Paul
Hahn's a great guy and he did the right thing. But I still don't know
the right rule. It's very technical and I still don't have a clear
idea how I broke the rules. All I know is that a rule was broken by
hitting a second ball."
Wright, however, has news for his opponents: "I'm looking forward
to next year," said Wright, a seven-time junior champion at Newport
Beach who is trying to become the first to win a men's club title and
junior championship at the club, after joining Newport Beach on his
own last year (his father, Jack, was a member for 30 years).
"I'm certain I can (win) it next year," added Wright, invited by
