Bearer soaking up this one

Bryce Alderton

The first words out of Bruce Bearer’s mouth when asked about his

initial appearance in Jones Cup IV, scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Friday at

Mesa Verde Country Club, were ones filled with appreciation and

apology.

“First of all, I’m sorry Jeff Bloom couldn’t make it,” said the

43-year-old Bearer, who finished second by two shots to Bloom for

Newport Beach Country Club’s men’s championship.

Because Bloom will be on vacation in Hawaii, Bearer will join Paul

Hahn, NBCC’s head professional in the better-ball, partner format.

“It’s a shame, but I’m glad to come to the Jones Cup,” Bearer

said. “I followed our team last year for the back nine at Big Canyon.

It was nice to see all the great golfers, especially guys you know.”

Jeff Wright and Hahn were right there with the three other private

club teams from Newport-Mesa heading into the par-five 18th at Big

Canyon, but finished five shots off the pace of Bob Lovejoy and Danny

Lane’s winning score after a double bogey.

“It’s fun to see the pros playing, they all have great swings,”

said Bearer, who shot 73 in each of the first two rounds of the club

championship to take the lead halfway through. An 82 in the third

round brought him back to the pack before he closed with a 79,

actually jumping from fourth place to second after he birdied the

par-three 17th.

“The lapse between the two weekends was pretty tough, being in the

lead at that point,” Bearer said. “Now I see how being the front

runner in a major tournament is in a tough place.

“The third round was my downfall. Then I told myself to hang in

there, have fun and don’t worry about the score. What happens is

going to happen.”

What happened is that Bearer, 43, leaped into second and now is

set to play in the Jones Cup, which has been won the past two years

by Big Canyon’s Director of Golf, Bob Lovejoy, and amateur partners

Ron Maggard and Danny Lane.

Santa Ana Country Club and NBCC have yet to claim Jones Cup titles

(the Mesa Verde duo of head pro Tom Sargent and Pete Daley claimed

the inaugural event in 2000).

Bearer, who has been playing golf since he was 14, took lessons from Mike Reehl, Santa Ana’s director of golf, 10 years ago and has

taken a few training sessions from Hahn.

He began to take golf “seriously” about eight years ago, when he

hovered around a 10 handicap. He is now a 1.7.

“Getting down to 5 was my first goal, then I was at 4.9,” Bearer

recalled. “The next goal was getting down to a 2, which took about a

year-and-a-half. Now, I’m playing the best I’ve ever done.

“I learned to practice my putting stroke instead of changing

things and to play smarter shots. Instead of trying to make a

miraculous shot from the trees, chipping the ball back into the

fairway, getting a bogey and moving to the next hole was the goal.

Also, I’ve eliminated some of the double bogeys, which has erased

four to five strokes.”

Bearer, who grew up playing Riviera Country Club in Pacific

Palisades, where his family were members, plays about three times a

month. His family, which includes wife Diane and sons Bruce and Matt,

takes precedence.

“I try to get out early Saturday and Sunday mornings,” saidBearer,

who works for a real estate development company in Irvine. “My two

young boys play soccer and baseball, so I try to get out before those

things happen. Sometimes we’ll play nine holes late in the afternoon

in the summer months.”

Playing in front of a gallery that could reach into the hundreds

will be a new experience for Bearer, who already felt the eyes of the

30 or 40 who came to watch the final round of the men’s club

championship.

“I noticed the galleries were growing in the club championship,”

Bearer said. “I was more comfortable as the round went on.”

Bearer has played Mesa Verde twice, including last week with Hahn

and Debbie Albright.

“It was more of a practice round,” Bearer said. “We didn’t keep

score. We got used to the fairways and checked the distances. The

course is in great shape.

“The kikuyu grass is tough for people and that is what Riviera

has, so I’m used to that. Chipping it close and being able to get the

ball up and down at Riviera is important.”

No doubt the same shots will present themselves to all eight

players in Friday’s Jones Cup.

“It’s an exciting nervousness, something completely new to me,”

Bearer said.