Mickey Wright Invitational brought to Fallbrook Golf Club in 1968

The San Luis Rey Golf Club hosted the Mickey Wright Invitational tournament sanctioned by the Ladies Professional Golf Association from 1964 to 1967. In 1968, the tournament moved to the Fallbrook Golf Club. Fred Sherman, who during his career was the head pro both at San Luis Rey and at the Fallbrook Golf Club, was the tournament director.

The eighth annual Mickey Wright Invitational began with a pro-am celebrity tournament Sept. 26 and featured 50 LPGA golfers competing for a total of $13,500 in prize money. Fallbrook resident Duke Snider teamed in the celebrity tournament with his former Dodgers teammate Sandy Koufax, who had retired in 1966; they were paired with singer Jimmie Rodgers and professional Mary Lou Daniels.

Sandra Haynie had won the 1967 tournament with a birdie on the extra-hole playoff against Kathy Whitworth. Whitworth entered the 1968 tournament second in LPGA earnings for the year, behind Carol Mann, while Haynie was third in earnings. Wright, a four-time winner of the tournament, did not participate.

Australian pro Margie Masters teamed with amateurs Jude Poynter, Bob Roberts, and Diane Monterastelli to win the pro-am, attaining team a score of 56.

The Fallbrook Golf Club course totaled 6,200 yards for the 54-hole tournament Sept. 27-29. Approximately 2,000 spectators saw the first professional round Sept. 27. The low score in the Sept. 27 round was the 66 shot by Judy Kimball, who had two bogeys, six birdies, and an eagle on the 15th hole. Mary Mills, Masters, and 40-year-old Betsy Rawls each had scores of 70 on the first day. Whitworth was one of three players with a score of 71, and Haynie and Mann were among the seven golfers who required 72 strokes.

Whitworth completed the Sept. 28 round in 67 strokes, taking the lead with a score of 138 after two holes. A 74-shot performance by Kimball and the second consecutive 70 for Rawls placed those two into a tie for second at 140 strokes. Haynie also had a score of 70, putting her in fourth place at 142. The other golfer to shoot a 70 that day, Donna Caponi, birdied six holes but had a triple bogey on the par-four third hole and ended the day with 145 strokes over two rounds. Mann's score of 75 placed her eight shots behind Whitworth at 147.

In the final round Sept. 29, Rawls had a bogey on the third hole but birdies on the first, second, fourth, fifth, and eighth holes for a 68-stroke round and a 54-hole score of 208. That was good enough for the $2,025 first-place prize money. Whitworth's 74-stroke round and Haynie's 70 shots gave each of them scores of 210, a share of second place, and $1,450 apiece.

Sandra Palmer's 71 and Kimball's 75 gave each of them 54-hole scores of 215 which shared fourth place and provided each of them with $952.50. Mann's 71 gave her a share of ninth place at $218, and the $393 she won allowed her to stay ahead of Whitworth in the season earnings.

Haynie's 70-shot round was matched by 41-year-old Shirley Spork, who had scores of 78 and 76 during the first two days; Spork's 234 shared 26th place with two other golfers and provided the final pay positions with $33 apiece.

In 1969, the Mickey Wright Invitational moved to the Lake San Marcos Country Club for what would be its final year.

To comment on this story online, visitwww.thevillagenews.com.