Steve Pate

Newbury Park High senior Kara McKeown, one of the top girls' volleyball players in the area, committed Thursday to play at St. Mary's. "It's a small school, I really like the area and I'm familiar with the conference they play in," McKeown said. "The coaches said I'll have a good chance to start." McKeown, a 6-foot middle blocker, led the Panthers to second place in the Marmonte League and to the Southern Section Division I playoffs.

Steve Pate put on the kind of late burst possible only under the peculiar scoring system in use this week and took the first-round lead Thursday in the International tournament at Castle Rock, Colo. "It's a little misleading," Pate said of a late rush that gave him the lead. "It's not as dramatic as it looks." It served the purpose, however. Beginning on the 13th hole at the Castle Pines Golf Club, Pate went birdie-par-birdie-birdie-eagle.

Dave Berganio has a decision to make. To wit, measuring the pros and cons of turning pro. Last week, Berganio, 24, won the U.S. Public Links Championship for the second time in three years. He arrived back in his hometown of Sylmar over the weekend and the phone hasn't stopped ringing since. Included among the callers was a representative from International Management Group.

For Steve Pate, this would be the ideal week to end a victory drought that dates to exactly a year. In the 41 years since San Diego became a stop on the PGA Tour, no golfer has won the tournament three times. Pate, 31, a native of Ventura and an alumnus of UCLA, can achieve that distinction in the Buick Invitational of California starting today at Torrey Pines. Four other players have won twice each in the tournament, which began in 1952 as the San Diego Open at the San Diego Country Club.

Gil Morgan no longer practices optometry, but his eyes were sharp when he sank a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th green to take the first-round lead Thursday in the 92nd U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. Morgan had a six-under-par 66 and finished his round in the gathering gloom of early evening. Curtis Strange shot a 67 hours earlier on a cool, overcast day with minimal wind and was the leader until Morgan made his birdie putt.

While the gallery was taking a pounding from errant golf shots in the final round of the Buick Invitational of California at Torrey Pines Sunday, Steve Pate profited from a wild shot at No. 17. Pate, a self-proclaimed slasher and hacker, had a ball end up in a spectator's 12-pack beer container. He got a drop, chipped close and saved the par, then went to record an "ugly" birdie on No. 18 to win by one stroke. "Most of my rounds aren't works of art anyway," Pate said.

Duck, here come the leaders in the Buick Invitational. While the gallery was taking a pounding from errant golf shots Sunday, Steve Pate, a self-proclaimed slasher and hacker, found refuge in a 12-pack beer container on No. 17 and then recorded an "ugly" birdie on No. 18 to win at Torrey Pines for the second time in his eight-year career. "Most of my rounds aren't works of art anyway," Pate said. "I kind of just slash it, go find it and then try and hit some putts."

An analogy of Steve Pate's 1991 season on the PGA Tour: You earn a trip to the California lottery's Big Spin. You are so excited that in the days leading up to this moment of a lifetime you absent-mindedly pluck all the fur off your cat. Finally, the big day arrives and you pull the handle of the Big Spin wheel. The 300-pound wheel falls on your head. You lose. Pate worked for two years for a chance at golf's Big Spin, a berth on the Ryder Cup team. He was excited beyond belief.

Mike Hulbert shot a four-under-par 69 Thursday to take the lead after two rounds of the $750,000 Kapalua International tournament. Hulbert, who leads Steve Pate by one shot, has only one bogey through 36 holes and stands at 10-under 136 on the par-73 Plantation Course at the Kapalua Resort. Pate shot a three-under-par 70 for his 137 total. Two shots off the pace at 138 are Russ Cochran (70-68) and Davis Love III (68-70).

If Steve Pate had not qualified for the U.S. Ryder Cup team, he would have been the first selection by team captain Dave Stockton, all of which makes Pate's uncertain playing status even more disappointing to the Americans. Pate, injured in a three-car accident Wednesday night, suffered a bruise to an abdominal muscle on his left side that affects his swing. Also affected, if Pate cannot play, is the chance of the U.S.