KEARNS, 83, IS THE KING OF ACES.

Byline: DAVE SHELBURNE Golf

Dr. Walter Kearns, the man who helped bring back golf at former City Section power Taft High of Woodland Hills, is at it again.

Not by contributing to the restoration of a program such as Taft's - which produced eventual College Player of the Year and 19-year PGA Tour member Duffy Waldorf - but by knocking tee shots into the cup.

The 83-year-old West Hills resident, a former Princeton University golfer and 1941 U.S. Amateur qualifier who spent 49 years as a general surgeon, recorded his 10th career hole-in-one Saturday at Lakeside Country Club in Toluca Lake.

Kearns' latest ace came on his favorite hole at Lakeside - the 164-yard, par-3 third, where a 4-iron shot gave him his third hole-in-one on that hole and fifth at the club.

``It was on line the whole way,'' said the two-time Lakeside club champion, who had previously aced No. 3 in 1966 and '68, both with 5-iron shots.

Kearns' other aces, spanning 53 years, came in 1942 on the 2nd hole at Baltimore's Clifton Park (2-iron, 206 yards), 1970 on the 12th at Hillcrest in Los Angeles (3-iron, 185 yards), 2002 at Lakeside's 6th (7-iron, 142 yards), 2002 on the 11th at Oakmont in Glendale (7-iron, 145 yards), 2003 on the 18th at Braemar in Tarzana (6-iron, 155 yards), 2004 at Lakeside's No. 6 (7-iron, 142 yards) and 2004 at Braemar's 7th (8-iron, 116 yards).

The secret to his ability to keep knocking tee shots into the cup throughout a career which has outlasted wooden-head drives and predated the Internet?

``I decided to change my opinion,'' Kearns said. ``Now, when I get a short shot, instead of aiming for the green, I go straight for the cup.''

Kearns' son, Brad, who played golf at Taft before that school dropped the program that Walter helped revive in 2003 as a volunteer coach, believes his father may hold the world record for aces shot after age 80.

The elder Kearns has recorded six holes-in-one since turning 80 in 2002.

That's not all Kearns has accomplished as a senior golfer. He has shot his age more than 200 times since 1989, when he shot 66 at age 67. He qualified for the U.S. Senior Amateur at age 55 and he won the Southern California Golf Association Super-Senior Amateur (age 65 and over) with a 73 at age 80.

His biggest contribution in the eyes of recent Taft players, however, might be helping restore their opportunity to play high school golf - an opportunity the 2003 Taft team made the most of by going 10-0 in league and placing fourth in the City finals.

``It's been fun,'' said Kearns, who plans to return as an assistant coach of the Toreadors for a sixth season next year.

--Younger and younger: Area junior golfers and tournament opponents of Brian Locke have been raving for years about the skill of the June graduate of St. Bernard High in Playa Del Rey.

College golf got a look at Locke's ability on Monday, when the Loyola Marymount freshman recorded 19 birdies in 36 holes at the Santa Clara Invitational, shooting 64-68 to take a five-stroke lead in the 69-player competition.

Locke's 64 tied the school record held by teammate Jason D'Amore, who set the standard last year, when he was a freshman.

Credit Rickie Fowler of Murrieta Valley High for raising the profile of this low-shooting youth movement, when he shot a 10-under-par 62 to win the Southern California boys high school championship as a freshman two years ago.

The trend is showing up among area golfers as well.

Two years after Brandon Christianson shot 62 (with a final-hole bogey) as a Valencia High junior, the Vikings' latest wunderkind, Louis Amira, shot 63 this year as a sophomore in winning an American Junior Golf Association age 15-under tournament in New Mexico, tying the second-lowest round in AJGA history.

Look for Notre Dame High of Sherman Oaks sophomore Sarah Salvo to be the next area golfer to extend the trend. The 2005 U.S. Girls Junior Amateur qualifier finished 3-under- par in winning the 36-hole Mission League tournament last year as a freshman, then completed a successful title defense on Monday, finishing 4-under-par in 36 holes played at Encino Golf Course and Woodley Lakes Golf Course in Lake Balboa.

Last year, Salvo shot 68 in her postseason debut with the Knights. She opens her sophomore postseason Nov. 4, in the Southern Section individual final at Diamond Bar Golf Club in Diamond Bar.

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo:

JAY HAAS

Box:

ON THE GREEN

BY DAVE SHELBURNE