click above for a video featuring on-course action and player interviews
CARMEL, Calif. (Oct. 14, 2007)— The final round of the 17th annual Stocker Cup Invitational Golf Tournament was back-and-forth affair between Virginian Pat Tallent and Canada’s Craig Doell in which the two competitors didn’t tie a hole until the 18th.
With Tallent bringing a one-stroke lead into the final day, and the rest of the competition well out of range, the regulation 18 holes wasn’t enough to decide the contest, so the pair headed back up to the 18th tee for a sudden-death playoff.
Doell split the fairway with his tee shot, but Tallent’s found the bunker. He arrived at his ball to find it in a rotten lie, and could do no more than punch it out of the sand ten yards into the rough.
From there it was a matter of Doell completing his two-putt par to win his second Stocker Cup with a final tally of 3-over-par 289. His first Cup came in 2004.
“It was kind of a pillow fight out there, we didn’t tie a hole until we both pared 18,” said Doell.
Leading by a stroke, Tallent left the door open on the 17th hole, a par-five that has yielded several birdies throughout the tourney. The reigning Virginia state champion couldn’t get over a tree with his approach shot, then had to punch under the same tree, eventually ending up with bogey.
“That really surprised me, when he didn’t get his third shot on the green,” said Doell. “But I didn’t capitalize as much as I would’ve liked, and he made a nice up-and-down for bogey.”
Both players two-putted the final hole, from similar positions as the playoff, to force extra holes.
Taking third at 293 was Cincinnati’s Billy Williamson, who had the day’s low round at 3-under 69. Rounding out the top five was two-time champ Randy Haag and Jeff Wilson of Fairfield, Calif.
Tallent was also awarded the Tatum Cup, given to the tournaments low senior.
See below for full results.
ELLIOT CUP RESULTS
Tallent and his partner Alan Hyman won the 54-hole best-ball team competition, which pits one of the scratch A-Players with a B-Player competing at their assigned handicap from the gold tees, by a stroke after a birdie try by team of Billy Williamson and Tom Graunke on the 18th hole slid just by the hole.
The day started with ten teams within three strokes of the lead, and ended with six within five strokes.
The award is named for former co-chairman Jack Elliot, who passed away in 2007.
Note: Top teams are shown below the individual scores. For complete team results,
click here.
Final result from the Stocker Cup Invitational follow:
Individual Championship
Pos
Player
Club
Rd1
Rd2
Rd3
Rd4
Tot
T1
Craig Doell
Victoria Golf Club
76
68
70
75
*289
T1
Pat Tallent
Congressional Golf Club
72
72
69
76
289
3
Billy Williamson
Coldstream Country Club
73
77
74
69
293
4
Randy Haag
The Olympic Club
76
74
71
73
294
5
Jeff Wilson
Green Valley Country Club
80
72
71
72
295
6
Nick Ushijima
The Olympic Club
77
72
76
71
296
T7
Joe Sanders
Montreux Golf and Country Club
78
72
73
75
298
T7
Garrett Larson
UC Golf Club
73
78
73
74
298
9
Billy Mitchell
River Pines Golf Club
75
74
76
75
300
T10
Brady Exber
TPC Summerlin
79
77
72
73
301
T10
John Pate
The Valley Club
76
78
74
73
301
T12
Alex Stamey III
Everett Golf and Country Club
78
77
72
75
302
T12
Dalton Melnyk
Bobby Jones Golf Club
74
80
74
74
302
T14
Kenny Weixel
New Albany Country Club
75
77
76
75
303
T14
Jack Kelly
Aldarra Golf Club
73
76
78
76
303
T16
Mark Mance
Preserve Golf Club
76
74
77
77
304
T16
Mike Rowley
San Luis Obispo Country Club
75
78
72
79
304
18
Robert Funk
Bear Creek Golf Club
75
73
81
77
306
T19
Michael Wharton-Palmer
Texarkana Country Club
75
77
77
78
307
T19
Casey Boyns
Monterey Bay Golf Club
75
74
78
80
307
T19
Keith Kinsel
Los Angeles Country Club
77
77
71
82
307
22
Jerry Ledzinski
Tehama Golf Club
76
79
74
81
310
* sudden death, 1st hole
missed 54-hole cut
Burton, Bob
77
75
78
230
McClure, John
75
78
77
230
Gabelman, Andy
79
76
75
230
Sullivan, Dan
79
77
74
230
Swenson, Brian
77
71
83
231
Nelson, Dave
78
76
77
231
Kane, Tim
76
75
80
231
Atkinson, Bert
78
77
76
231
Brudzinski, TJ
73
84
74
231
Crosby, Nathaniel
75
79
78
232
Harper, Sandy
79
76
77
232
Pridmore, Jason
76
76
80
232
James, Chris
81
80
72
233
Huff, IV, Phil
79
82
74
235
Nichols, Steve
77
81
77
235
Wilder, Brad
79
76
81
236
Barsotti, Todd
78
79
79
236
Fairey III, Joe
79
77
81
237
Chuhlantseff, Harold
78
84
75
237
Houvener, Paul
81
78
78
237
Rathjen, Dave
83
80
76
239
Traub, Cass
81
82
76
239
Carlson, Chris
83
82
75
240
John, Steve
81
82
79
242
Truett, Sammy
87
83
77
247
Roat, George
84
84
80
248
Hillman, Joe
81
84
85
250
Rouillard, Tim
83
86
82
251
Gardner, Mark
80
87
85
252
Butler, Mike
85
89
82
256
54 Hole Team Competition
Pos
Team
Club
Rd1
Rd2
Rd3
Tot
Tallent / Hyman
68
69
64
201
Tallent, Pat
Congressional Golf Club
Hyman, Alan
Castlewood Country Club
T2
Williamson / Graunke
68
67
67
202
Williamson, Billy
Coldstream Country Club
Graunke, Tom
Whisper Rock Golf Club
T2
Mitchell / McWhorter
68
67
67
202
Mitchell, Billy
River Pines Golf Club
McWhorter, Scott
The Preserve Golf Club
T4
Doell / Dunwoody
72
66
66
204
Doell, Craig
Victoria Golf Club
Dunwoody, Mac
The Preserve Golf Club
T4
John / Connolly
68
67
69
204
John, Steve
Tehama Golf Club
Connolly, Martin
Harding Park Golf Club
T6
Gabelman / Giddings, Jr.
70
67
69
206
Gabelman, Andy
Barrington Hills Country Club
Giddings, Jr., Mike
Bear Creek Golf Club
T6
Pridmore / Stocker
66
70
70
206
Pridmore, Jason
Spanish Hills Country Club
Stocker, Erik
Blue Canyon Country Club
T8
Haag / Johnson
69
70
68
207
Haag, Randy
The Olympic Club
Johnson, Phil
Tehama Golf Club
T8
Houvener / Flynn
71
67
69
207
Houvener, Paul
Mill Creek Country Club
Flynn, Mark
The Preserve Golf Club
T8
Atkinson / Pitchford
67
69
71
207
Atkinson, Bert
Country Club of Charleston
Pitchford, Mark
Menlo Country Club
T8
Sullivan / Crow
65
70
72
207
Sullivan, Dan
Brookside Country Club
Crow, Denny
The Olympic Club
ABOUT THE STOCKER CUP:
The Stocker Cup, played in memory of Peter Stocker, is held each October at
The Preserve Golf Club in Carmel. The field is comprised of 52 world-class
mid-amateur invitees, who meet stringent eligibility requirements, and pay
a minimal fee for their participation. Offering both NCGA and national Golfweek
and amateurgolf.com Bridgestone Player Rankings points, the Stocker Cup also
holds a one-day qualifying tournament for regional players who were not among
the original invites. On September 28, eighteen competitors with a handicap
index of 2.4 or lower vied for the final two A-list spots in the main tournament.
(Brian Swenson and Harold Chuhlantseff both qualified at 76 at Stevinson Ranch.)
Those final A-list golfers are complimented by a matching number of qualified
B-list competitors, with invitations extended to friends, relatives and associates
of the late Peter Stocker, as well as to various sponsors and other supporters
of the event. Every A-player is teamed with a B-player in a handicapped best-ball
competition held simultaneously with the individual stroke-championship.