Andrew Bonner holds on to claim first Modesto City Golf Championship

Andrew Bonner, the Central Catholic High School graduate now playing at the University of Oregon, followed his first-round 65 with a 1-under-par 71 Sunday to win the Modesto City Golf Championship title at Creekside Golf Course.

Bonner’s lead dwindled to two strokes after the front nine, but birdies on Nos. 10 and 11 helped keep Modesto’s Peter Canevari at bay.

Bonner’s two-day total of 136 was three strokes better than Canevari, who closed with a 69.

Marc Peterson (72-71-143) was third, followed by Modesto Junior College golfer John Morshead (70-73-143), who, along with Bonner and Canevari, made up the final threesome.

Bonner struggled in the early going Sunday.

“I was spraying my driver a little bit,” said Bonner, who plans to turn pro in the next year. “I hit a couple of bad wedge shots on 6 and 7 … missed the green, didn’t get up down and ended up making bogeys.”

That opened the door for Canevari.

“I was hoping for a 67 today to put a little pressure on him,” said the 58-year-old Canevari, a former City champion. “He didn’t play that well on the front, but he went birdie-birdie on 10 and 11 and that put the pressure back on me.”

Bonner eventually took a four-stroke lead before Canevari birdied 13, but he could get no closer.

“I thought I was going to birdie 15, but I just missed there,” Canevari said.

On the par-5 16th hole, Bonner hit his third shot into the greenside bunker but made a nice up-and-down to save par.

On the par-4 17th hole, Bonner hit his drive within 50 yards of the green but off the fairway to the right, with a tree midway between his ball and the green. He wedged a shot high over the tree to within 12 feet of the flag and two-putted for another par.

Bonner closed his round with seven consecutive pars.

“After 9, I was like, ‘All right, I’ve got some birdie holes coming up, 10 and 11, and I can get pretty close to the green and hit a little wedge up there,’ ” Bonner said. “So, I was pretty happy with myself to come through when I felt like I needed to.”

Tori Peers, a Nebraska native who plays at Cal State Bakersfield, won the women’s title with a two-day total of 149 (71-78). She was two shots clear of former Oakdale standout Mabel Wong and recent Pitman graduate Taylor Beckwith.

Wong, who just completed her first season at USF, shot 74 at Creekside on Saturday and 77 at Dryden on Sunday.

Beckwith, who captured the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I South title last fall, shot 73-78.

“I didn’t play that well on the front,” said Peers, who made two bogeys and two double bogeys going out. “I was just too far ahead of myself, overthinking things. I just had to take it shot by shot and try to get it back.”

Tomi Spor was low net in the women’s flight with adjusted scores of 66 and 72.

In the senior championship flight, Ronald Collet (78-73) defeated Ray Kong (83-68) in a playoff after both tied for first at 151, two strokes ahead of David Halvorson (79-74).

Devin Engerbretsen won the first flight with a score of 152 (74-78), one stroke better than Tod Dilley (75-78) and two shots clear of Randy Ehlers (79-75) and Brandon Williams (76-78).

Complete scores from the Modesto City Championship will run in Tuesday’s edition of The Bee.

This story was originally published June 12, 2016 at 7:55 PM with the headline "Andrew Bonner holds on to claim first Modesto City Golf Championship."