GOLFING WEATHER IT WASN'T AT CLASSIC THOSE WHO BRAVED COLD REVELED IN SEEING BEST.

Byline: Gerry Gittelson and Carol Rock Staff Writers

SANTA CLARITA - The golf gods weren't smiling down Saturday at the AT&T Classic at the Valencia Country Club, as temperatures fell into the upper 30s, a biting wind gained steam through the day, and dark clouds threatened - but never quite stormed.

Attendance was hurt because of all the gloom, but the general consensus was it could have been worse.

``This isn't so bad. I remember a tour stop in Arizona back in 1999 that snowed out because of a blizzard,'' tour spokesman Phil Stambaugh said. ``Most bizarre thing I've ever seen.''

The weather meant the course was largely free of the 40,000 spectators expected to watch the senior pros. Volunteers outnumbered guests 3 to 1 at midday.

Among them were volunteers Peter Shultz and Ruth Eubanks, who manned a station just before the 18th green, Shultz making electronic notes from a laser range finder that tracked each player's progress for live online feed. They had umbrellas on the ready, just in case the sky opened up.

Despite the gloom, retired teacher Bob Lowe and his wife Marlene kept steadfastly to their tasks of posting the scores of each golfer. Volunteer Leonard Leto worked slightly ahead of Marlene, writing tiny numbers in pencil in the lower left-hand corner of each hole's column.

``Sometimes we get to work together; we just did the Bob Hope, the L.A. Open, the Senior Toshiba Classic and this one. We do the Celebrities at Tahoe at Edgewood and the Tiger Woods event,'' Marlene Lowe said.

The brave fans willing to withstand the elements did so with a laid-back California attitude in some not-so-California weather.

``I've been to L.A. three or four times through the years and wasn't expecting weather this cold, but I flew in from Utah where there's 2 feet of snow. So in spite of the weather it's just a pleasure to be here,'' said Doug Prowse, a corporate guest of AT&T.

There was no way a little bad weather was going to keep Larry Jensen away. The 58-year-old Montrose trucker has been waiting a long time to see his golf heroes such as Ben Crenshaw, Gil Morgan and Lee Trevino.

``The sun seems to be coming out about half the time, so I'm enjoying it,'' Jensen said. ``Yes, it's a little cold, but where else can you see the best in the world at anything? I'm in my 50s, too, and I wanted to watch the seniors to see how I stack up. I'm coming back tomorrow, but this time I'm going to bring an umbrella.''

Shauna Avrith, a 42-year-old retired attorney from Los Angeles, came well-prepared with a ski parka, gloves and hiking boots.

``It's cold, but when you go inside the clubhouse it's not so bad,'' she said. ``We wanted to come because a friend invited us - and we already have a baby sitter for the day.''

Willis Young, the tour's official meteorologist, said he's seen two or three thunderstorms in the last six or seven Valencia tournaments.

In 2003, the final day of the Valencia stop was canceled because of rain, and last year a thunderstorm was just moving in at the close of the final day.

``This is L.A., but (bad weather) happens,'' Young said.

Gerry Gittelson, [phone]

gerry.gittelson(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 2 -- color) Spectators on Saturday at the AT&T Classic at Valencia Country Club were in numbers much lower than previously expected, but those who braved the cold enjoyed seeing some of their favorite seniors tour players such as Tom Kite, left.

(3) Cord Walker of Valencia zips up the jacket of his 4-year-old daughter Michelle on Saturday afternoon at the Valencia Country Club.

Alex Collins/Special to the Daily News