Johnathan Schnitzer
FAIRFAX, CA (July 9, 2013) -- Johnathan
Schnitzer of Houston nearly matched the
course
record of 60 at the historic Meadow Club on
Tuesday, firing 61 to take an early 4 stroke
lead
at the Trans-Miss Amateur.
Schnitzer, starting on the back nine, went out
in
32 and punctuated his first nine with birdies
on
Nos. 17 and 18. Heading to the front side, he
made it four in a row with birdies on Nos. 1
and 2,
then added another two at the downhill,
dogleg
right 4th and the 194-yard par 3 fifth.
There were no bogeys on the card for
Schnitzer, a
relatively unheralded redshirt junior on the
University of Texas golf team.
He is trailed by a trio at 65 that includes
Trevor
Simsby of Carlsbad, Austin Cook of Jonesboro,
Arkansas, and the top ranked player in the
field,
University of California standout Max Homa.
TOURNAMENT PREVIEW
Preparations for the 110th
Trans-Mississippi amateur golf championship,
presented by TaylorMade-Adidas, set for
Tuesday through Thursday, July 9-11, at the
historic Meadow Club in Fairfax are nearly
complete, with 144 of the country's top male
golfers ready to compete for one of amateur
golf's most prestigious titles.
The field of golfers will include Cal
NCAA champion, first team All American and
U.S. Open participant Max Homa along with
defending champion Tyler Raber from UC-
Davis
and Stanford's Jim Liu, a former U.S. Junior
Champion .
Practice rounds begin Monday at
famed architect Alister Mackenzie's first
American design, 40 miles North of San
Francisco. The tournament, on the par 71
course
measuring 6,734 yards, begins Tuesday, July
9
and concludes with a 36-hole final on
Thursday,
July 11. All rounds are free and open to the
public and media.
Among the other top players
entered
are USC's Sam Smith, currently ranked 47th
in
the country in the amateur rankings, along
with
Fresno 's Bryson DeChambeau, who won
Conference USA Freshman of the Year honors
at
SMU and is ranked #62 in the country. Last
year's third-place finisher Austin Cook of
Jonesboro , Arkansas is also returning. Also
entered is USC student Daniel Trevino, the son
of World Golf Hall of Famer Lee Trevino.
There has not been a repeat
champion at the Trans-Miss, coming to
California for the first time since 2004, since
Allen Miller won in 1968-70. Jack Nicklaus also
won back-to-back in 1958-59. Other winners
include PGA Tour stars Ben Crenshaw, Deane
Beman, Bob Tway and Mark Brooks.
ABOUT THE Trans-Miss Championship
The Trans-Miss is one of the oldest and
most storied golf tournaments in the United
States.
For 106 years the championship
was played in a match play format.
Past champions include Jack Nicklaus (1958
and 1959), Charles Coe (1947, 1949, 1952 and
1956), Deane Beman (1960), George Archer
(1963), Ben Crenshaw (1972), Gary Koch
(1973), Bob Tway (1978), Mark Brooks (1978)
and other professional tour notables. In
1987 the championship was changed to a mid-
amateur age requirement, and a senior division
was also added. Starting in 2010, the Trans-
Mississippi Championship, returned to its roots
as an
open amateur tournament, and immediately
established itself as a "must-play" among
top collegiate and mid-am players, while
changing to
a 72-hole stroke play format. The field size
starts at
144 players from Trans-
Mississippi Golf Association member clubs (or
players receiving a special invitation from the
Championship Committee). After 36 holes, a cut
is
made to the low 54 and ties who play the final
two
rounds.
View Complete Tournament Information