L.A. CITY CHAMPIONSHIP: A HOGARTH HOT-STEP.

Byline: Rich Hammond  Staff Writer

Tim Hogarth took the trophy and ran. Drove, actually, all the way to Pebble Beach, less than three hours after he completed his final round Sunday at the Los Angeles City Men's Golf Championship.

Hogarth, a Northridge resident, won the L.A. City title for the third consecutive year and a record fourth time overall with a final round of 2-under-par 69 at Rancho Park Golf Course.

Then, he stopped home for a change of clothes, loaded his car and drove north to Pebble Beach to play the State Amateur, which began Monday.

``This isn't easy,'' Hogarth said Sunday afternoon, in between his drives on the course and his drive on the freeways. ``I've got a little son (Justin, born last May) and for me to leave my wife alone with a small child for a whole week, it's a difficult thing to do.''

It must not have seemed fair for the rest of the field in the L.A. City event to have to play Hogarth, who beat second-place finisher and fellow Woodland Hills Country Club member Michael Turner by 12 strokes. Hogarth shot rounds of 67-68-67-69 for a 15-under 271 total in the two-weekend competition that started on the par-72 Wilson and Harding courses at Griffith Park.

Turner, who couldn't completely recover from a first-round 74, and Bud Bradley had been the only previous three-time winners of the L.A. City. Chris Botsford of Annandale Golf Club finished third and Tommy Barber, who shot 69-66 at his home Griffith Park courses the previous weekend, shot 74-78 last weekend at Rancho Park and finished seventh.

``I always look at this tournament as a way to get going for the rest of the summer,'' Hogarth said. ``It was a great weekend. People talk about the condition of city courses, but this is the best I have ever seen Rancho Park look.

``It's funny because I had to battle at Griffith Park but got a lot out of it, and then (Sunday) I thought I played well, but I didn't get much out of it scoring-wise.''

The victory was Hogarth's fourth City title in the six years since he regained his amateur status. In 1997 and 1998, he finished second. Hogarth, 35, also won the U.S. Amateur Public Links in 1996 and the State Amateur in 1999, and he hoped to duplicate that City-State double this week.

``Last year was difficult because my son had just been born and I wasn't completely concentrating on my game, obviously,'' Hogarth said. ``But this year I feel a little rejuvenated. Any time you can go up there with some momentum, it's good.''

Hogarth shot a 4-over 76 at Spyglass Hill on Monday, putting him in a tie for 47th place. He followed with a 72 Tuesday at Pebble Beach to tie for 16th in medal play and secure one of the 32 berths available for match play, which starts today.

``Pebble Beach is always tough,'' Hogarth said. ``You have to be pretty precise, and if you can put it in the fairway consistently, you're at least going to give yourself a chance.''

Given the way Hogarth has played recently, he always has a chance.

84th L.A. CITY CHAMPIONSHIP

--Championship (gross)-Tim Hogarth (Woodland Hills CC) 67-68-67-69-171

--A-flight (net)-Stanley Moss Jr. (Rancho Park) 71-67-70-208, Ken Jackson (Griffith Park) 69-69-70-208

--B-flight (net)-Hojun Yoon (JPL GC) 71-61-74-206

--C-flight (net)-Clifton Tucker (El Cariso) 68-63-70-201

--D-flight (net)-Patrick Giles (Golf Extra) 68-71-68-207

CAPTION(S):

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Photo:

TIM HOGARTH

John Kennedy/Special to the Daily News

Box: 84th L.A. CITY CHAMPIONSHIP