Drew Olson, former UCLA and NFL quarterback, and David Reneker survived a four-hole playoff to earn the third and final qualifying spot in the inaugural U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship at Del Paso Country Club in Sacramento.
Olson and Reneker, who played on the Bruins’ golf team, posted a score of 6-under-par 65 and retired to the bar, believing they had qualified. After two beers, they learned they were headed to a playoff with Gary Dunn and Jon Peterson of Granite Bay.
Reneker, 31, a two-time club champion at Bel Air Country Club in Los Angeles, holed a 15-foot birdie putt on the fourth extra hole to nail down their spot in the field on May 2-6 at the Olympic Club in San Francisco.
Olson, who grew up in Piedmont and played briefly for the 49ers, Baltimore Ravens and Carolina Panthers, made birdies to halve the first and third playoff holes.
“This has to be it,” Reneker told his caddie, PGA Tour pro Spencer Levin, after hitting his approach shot on the final hole as darkness closed in. “My range-finder won’t work.
” … (Levin) gave me three reads. Two were right.”
Alistair Docherty and Lee Gearheart, juniors at Chico State, captured medalist honors with a 63, while Scott Colby and Gary Deblaquire of Granite Bay finished second at 64.
