NOTEBOOK: LOCAL GOLFERS PULL DOUBLE DUTY AT SCGA.

Byline: Dave Shelburne Staff Writer

Recent high school graduates Erik Jarvey from Highland of Palmdale and Danny Hoffenberg from Royal of Simi Valley qualified Monday for the Southern California Golf Association Amateur Championship.

``It was an up-and-down round,'' said Jarvey, who won his first Golden League title last month but struggled to get under par much of his senior season.

Jarvey struggled again Monday, making six bogeys at Antelope Valley Country Club, but he offset those with five birdies and two eagles in a round of 69 that held up for the second-best of three qualifying scores for the July 8-10 SCGA Championship at Tierjas Creek Golf Club in Rancho Santa Margarita.

Jarvey, who tuned up for his first SCGA attempt with consecutive practice rounds of 67, 69 and 68 at Antelope Valley, led the qualifier until late-finisher Steve Fink of Las Vegas posted a 68 that included two birdie hole-outs from the fairway.

Then Jarvey turned caddie for junior tour rival and friend Hoffenberg, who needed a playoff after tying Dan Sullivan of Pasadena at 70 for third place. Hoffenberg prevailed on the strength of a 30-foot birdie putt on the fourth extra hole.

``I was playing solid the whole round, with five birdies and a bogey,'' said Hoffenberg, who recorded eight rounds in the 60s for Royal this season. ``Then I started leaking oil, missed three of my last four greens and couldn't get up and down on two of them.''

Sullivan and Dustin Rhone (71) of Culver City, a Brentwood School freshman, secured the two alternate berths. Jake Curtier of Lancaster and Richard Dougherty of Northridge finished a shot back at 72.

--Uptgraft wins: Brad Uptgraft of Valencia shot 2-under-par 69 Tuesday to win an SCGA qualifying tournament at Robinson Ranch in Santa Clarita.

Uptgraft, Doug Miller of Thousand Oaks and Amit Nat of Northridge (70 each), Greg Gauvin of Valencia (71) and Tyler Hurst of Bakersfield (72) claimed the five available berths in competition held on the Mountain course.

Brian Edick of Valencia and Darren Schwartz of Westlake Village shot 72s for the two alternate spots.

--Win-win: When Valencia High sophomore Louis Amira shot a season-best 67 May 24 to finish second in the Southern Section boys' golf final and qualify for the CIF/SCGA (Southern California) championship, he called the opportunity a win-win situation.

Either he would place in the top six of the CIF/SCGA event and claim a berth in last week's state high school championship or he would play in a top American Junior Golf Association event in New Mexico.

Win-win indeed.

After making eight birdies at the CIF/SCGA championship but finishing only 1-under par with a 71 that failed to advance him to state, Amira headed for the AJGA Nike Golf Junior All-Star tournament in Las Cruces, N.M., where he not only won by eight strokes, but also won a new driver by winning the long-drive competition.

Amira plans on giving the driver to his best friend, Tyler Hartsock, from Frederick, Md. Amira grew up in Frederick and his father, professional golf instructor Mike Amira, coached Frederick Community College to an undefeated season and regional championship before taking golf jobs in Florida and then California.

The memory of last week's experience at Las Cruces is the younger Amira's to savor forever. His accomplishments at the par-72, 6,717-yard Sonoma Ranch Golf Course included a 63 in the second round - the same day the California high school championship was being played at Pebble Beach. Amira's winning total was 15-under-par 201 and his winning long drive measured 329 yards.

The 63 is the best score by an area junior in 2005 and a career-best for Amira, a Florida state high school finalist as a freshman. He returns to AJGA competition this week in Las Vegas and will play in a U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier June 27 at Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe.

--L.A. City Amateur: Greg Sato of Annandale Country Club shot 71-65-71-69-276 to win the 88th Los Angeles City men's championship by two strokes over James Dalthorp III of Mountaingate Country Club.

Dalthorp, who reached the CIF/SCGA (Southern California) championship this year as a junior at Oaks Christian High of Westlake Village, shot a final-round 67 Sunday at Rancho Park Golf Club.

The strong finish left him a stroke ahead of former L.A. City champions Tim Hogarth and Michael Turner - both former Cal State Northridge golfers.

Valencia Country Club's Brad Uptgraft, another past L.A. City champion, was seventh at 283. Chuck Ruiz (286) of Hansen Dam Golf Course and Matt Ryan (287) of Porter Valley Country Club also finished in the top 10.

Net champions were Patrick Hanley of Golf Extra in A flight (279); Hiro Minae of Golf Extra in B flight (284, then a playoff winner over Jeremiah Harrington of Rancho Park); Yu-Nin Shang of Golf Extra in C flight (279 for a one-stroke margin over midway leader Charlie Alfonso of Sunset Hills CC); and David Banales of Hansen Dam in D flight at 270.

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Royal High graduate Danny Hoffenberg qualified for the SCGA Championship.

Dave Shelburne/Daily News