Chris McCully defeated two-time defending champion Monica McDonnell by a single stroke to win the Ventura County Women's Golf Championship. McCully posted a gross score of 164 while McDonnell finished at 165.

In A Flight Aldona Balciunas was first with a net 140, while Carol Martin finished second at 149.

In B Flight, Anna Lizarraga was first at 150, followed by Tanya Fasanella at 151.

McCully had a five-shot lead going into Sunday at Buenaventura, but struggled all day to find her rhythm.

McDonnell cut McCully's lead to two strokes heading to No. 17, then rolled in a 20-foot birdie putt to leave her one shot back heading to the final hole.

After laying up on the par-5 18th, McCully saw her opponent knock her approach shot on the green, leaving her an eagle putt.

"I knew I had to get it close to have a chance to win, and not have to go to a playoff," McCully said. "I knocked a wedge to about 4 inches. I thought I almost knocked it in."

Both players made birdie, giving McCully the title by a shot.

"She (McDonnell) is a really competitive player and I knew I couldn't let up on the intensity, so I was trying to grind it out on every hole," McCully said. "It feels great to win this tournament; it had been a couple of years since I won it. It was still a great way to wrap up the tournament season."

Short-game help: Putting and short-game experts from the Dave Pelz Scoring Game School will be hosting a series of one-day putting and wedge clinics at Calabasas Country Club on Oct. 15-18.

Students learn proper set-up positions and techniques to make repeatable swings for wedges, chips and bunker shots. The putting session is designed to improve green reading, putter path and face angle, set-up and sweet-spot impact.

The student-to-teacher ratio at each clinic is 6 to 1, with a maximum class size of 18. The fee is $395 per student.

To enroll, call 800-735-9868 or visit http://www.pelzgolf.

Hole-in-one report: Erich Kaminsky of Baltimore traveled across the country to make his first hole in one, acing Westlake's 155-yard 14th hole with a 7-iron.

Four-ball event: Simi Hills Golf Course and Lost Canyons Golf Club will co-host a Simi Valley City Four-Ball Championship on Nov. 8-9.

This first two-person, best-ball city tournament will consist of gross and net flights and is open to any golfer with an established USGA approved handicap.

In a four-ball tournament, two-player teams play each hole and record the lower of the two scores as the team score on each hole.

Cost to enter is $195. Deadline to enter is Oct. 29.

Entry forms are available at each course's pro shops and on their respective Web sites.