In the fourth all-California final, Jack Renner, 17, of San Diego, defeated Michael Brannan, of Salinas, the 1971 Champion, in 20 holes, over the Willow Glen course of the Singing Hills Country Club, El Cajon, Calif. It was the first final match to go extra holes in 26 years of the Championship. Renner was three down after 14 holes against Brannan and he caught him at the 18th. He holed birdie putts of 10 feet on both the 15th and 16th, halved the 17th, and won the 18th when Brannan missed a 3½ footer.

Both boys birdied the 19th hole, Brannan from 30 feet and Renner from nine. Renner won the 20th with a par 4; Brennan was just off the green in three, 22 feet from the hole. He putted and missed. No Champion has ever repeated. Brannan was, however, only the third player to reach the final twice. Eddie Pearce was Champion in 1968 and runner-up in 1969, while Mason Rudolph was runner-up in 1949 and Champion in 1950.

The Willow Glen course was the longest -6,935 yards -ever used for the Junior Championship. Two other records were tied in the qualifying rounds. Robert Donald, of Athens, Ga., score 71-68-139, equalling the marks set by John Miller in 1964 at the Eugene (Ore.) Country Club. The 68 and the 139 total are both record scores. The entry totaled 1,325.