- Robert Thomas photo courtesy PCGA
DALY CITY, CA., (August 1, 2006) -- Ben Fox, who lives in Studio City, Calif. but attends the University of Arizona, and Matt Savage, a Prescott, Ariz. resident who is a student at Stanford University, each fired rounds of 2-under-par 69 today at The Olympic Club's Ocean Course and share the lead after the first round of the 40th Pacific Coast Amateur Championship, one of North America's premiere amateur golf championships.
Fox and Savage are one shot in front of a quintet of golfers, including 2004 California Amateur champion Patrick Nagle, who lives just a few miles south of the club in Pacifica. A dozen others -- ranging from 18-year-old Joseph Bramlett of Saratoga, CA, to 55-year-old Olympic Club member Gary Vanier of Pleasant Hill -- finished at even-par 71 over the 6,844-yard Ocean Course.
The tournament switches to the club's Lake Course for Wednesday's second round. The third round returns to the Ocean Course on Thursday and the championship concludes Friday on the Lake Course, site of eight USGA national championships, including four U.S. Opens. Live scoring each day will be available at www.pacificcoastamateur.com.
Nagle and Bramlett paced the Northern California Golf Association to a three-shot lead over a trio of teams in the annual Morse Cup competition, held concurrently with the first two rounds of the championship. With the best two of three scores counting each day for the team total, the NCGA finished at 1-under-par 141, while two-time defending champion Washington State, Southern Nevada and Oregon are at 144 headed into tomorrow's final round.
Washington State is seeking to become the first association to win three consecutive titles since the Southern California GA won in 1980, 1981 and 1982. Its score today got no help from defending champion Alex Prugh of Spokane, who shot 78 today including a bizarre triple-bogey 7 on the 446-yard seventh hole when his drive ended up on a cart path and rolled several hundred yards before ending up out of bounds.
The 18-year-old Fox, who was part of the U.S. team that won inaugural USA-China Friendship Cup last weekend, and the 21-year-old Savage had remarkably similar rounds as each posted two birdies and one bogey on each nine. Fox opened and closed his round with birdies and could have had the lead outright had he not made bogey 6 on the 565-yard fourth hole.
RESULTS:
PACIFIC COAST GOLF ASSOCIATION
40th Pacific Coast Amateur Championship
at The Olympic Club; Daly City, CA
Ocean Course
6,844 yards; par 71
18-hole results:
69 -- Ben Fox, Studio City, CA; Matt Savage, Scottsdale, AZ.
70 -- Erik Hanson, Kirkland, WA; James Love, Calgary, AB; John Pate, Santa Barbara, CA; Patrick Nagle, Pacifica, CA; Ryan Thornberry, Ceres, CA.
71 -- Adam Hagen, Scappoose, OR; Cameron Tringale, San Juan Capistrano, CA; Charlie Beljan, Mesa, AZ; Chris Heintz, Brea, CA; Gary Vanier, Pleasant Hill, CA; Joseph Bramlett, Saratoga, CA; Kevin Chappell, Fresno, CA; Michael McCoy, West Des Moines, IA; Michael Wilson, Pacific Grove, CA; Ryan Keeney, Redmond, WA; Steve Woods, Cupertino, CA; Zack Miller, San Rafael, CA.
72 -- Blake Moore, Monrovia, CA; Dustin Pimm, Sandy, UT; Elliott Wainwright, Hillsborough, CA; Greggory LaVoie, Pasco, WA; J.J. Wood, Yuma, AZ; Joe Sawaia, Henderson, NV; Josh Immordino, Kent, WA; Matt Williams, Las Cruces, NM; Nick Becker, Boise, ID; Steven Fink, Las Vegas, NV; Travis Esway, Granite Bay, CA.
73 -- Brian Edick, Valencia, CA; Eddie Olson, Aptos, CA; Kris Wasylowich, Lethbridge, AB; Mitchell Gillis, Williams Lake, BC; Paul Welle, Scottsdale, AZ; Scott Hardy, Pleasant Hill, CA.
74 -- Alex Stamey, Mill Creek, WA; Brady Exber, Las Vegas, NV; Brendon Ehlers, Evanston, WY; Clayton Ogden, North Salt Lake, UT; Henry Liaw, Rowland Hts, CA; Joe Sanders, Incline Village, NV; Michael Knight, Calgary, AB; Ryan Kelley, Phoenix, AZ; Steve Saunders, Albuquerque, NM; Tim McKenney, Scottsdale, AZ; Tye Alexander, Los Angeles, CA; Zach Bixler, Richland, WA.
75 -- Andrew Putnam, University Place, WA; Brett Smith, Boise, ID; Bryan Toth, Victoria, BC; Daniel Summerhays, Provo, UT; Drew Stoltz, Ft Collins, CO; Ed Susolik, Newport Beach, CA; Jeff Wilson, Fairfield, CA; Tim Hogarth, Northridge, CA.
76 -- Adam Hadwin, Abbotsford, BC; Craig Doell, Victoria, BC; David Nelson, Reno, NV; Jay Snyder, Vancouver, BC; Michael Barbosa, St Petersburg, FL; Randy Haag, Burlingame, CA; Robert Funk, Canyon Lake, CA; Scott McGihon, Bermuda Dunes, CA.
77 -- Adam Tebbs, Henderson, NV; Dan Horner, Salt Lake City, UT; Graham DeLaet, Weyburn, SK; Keegan Bradley, Jackson, WY; Nick Travers, Boise, ID; Roberto Galletti, Jr, Clayton, CA; Seth Cotter, Sparks, NV; Todd Griffin, Casper, WY; Todd Halpen, Calgary, AB; Will Johnson, San Francisco, CA.
78 -- Alex Prugh, Spokane, WA; Jordan Nasser, Anaheim Hills, CA; Ken Kellaney, Phoenix, AZ; Kevin Larsen, Santa Barbara, CA; Scott Hval, Portland, OR.
79 -- Anton Salome, Socorro, NM; Charles Soule, Longmont, CO; Derek Tolan, Highlands Ranch, CO; George E. Marucci, Jr, Wayne, PA; Tony Finau, Salt Lake City, UT; Zen Brown, Arvada, CO.
81 -- Carl Jensen, Salt Lake City, UT; Jake Ellison, Provo, UT.
82 -- Greg Wenzel, Sparks, NV.
83 -- Don DuBois, Newport Beach, CA; Riki Kauika, Wanganui, New Zealand.
Morse Cup Team Competition
(best two of three scores count for team total)
141 -- Northern California GA
Patrick Nagle, 34-36--70; Joseph Bramlett, 35-36--71; Scott Hardy, 37-36--73
144 -- Oregon GA
Adam Hagen, 34-37--71; Mitchell Gillis, 37-36--73; Scott Hval, 36-42--78
144 -- Southern Nevada GA
Steven Fink, 35-37--72; Joe Sawaia, 36-36--72; Adam Tebbs, 38-39--77
144 -- Washington State GA
Erik Hanson, 36-34--70; Alex Stamey, 38-36--74; Alex Prugh, 40-38--78
145 -- Arizona GA
J.J. Wood, 37-35--72; Paul Welle, 37-36--73; Ryan Kelley, 37-37--74
146 -- Pacific Northwest GA
Josh Immordino, 35-37--72; Zach Bixler, 37-37--74; Adam Hadwin, 37-39--76
146 -- Public Links GA of Southern California
Blake Moore, 36-36--72; Tye Alexander, 36-38--74; Ed Susolik, 36-39--75
146 -- Sun Country GA
Matt Williams, 35-37--72; Steve Saunders, 35-39--74; Anton Salome, 41-38--79
147 -- Alberta GA
Kris Wasylowich, 36-37--73; Michael Knight, 37-37--74; Todd Halpen, 41-36--77
147 -- Idaho GA
Nick Becker, 37-35--72; Brett Smith, 36-39--75; Nick Travers, 40-37--77
151 -- British Columbia GA
Bryan Toth, 38-37--75; Craig Doell, 37-39--76; Jay Snyder, 38-38--76
151 -- Northern Nevada GA
Joe Sanders, 33-41--74; Seth Cotter, 37-40--77; Greg Wenzel, 44-38--82
151 -- Wyoming GA
Brendon Ehlers, 37-37--74; Todd Griffin, 41-36--77; Keegan Bradley, 36-41--77
154 -- Southern California GA
Robert Funk, 37-39--76; Jordan Nasser, 36-42--78; Don DuBois, 43-40--83
156 -- Utah State GA
Dan Horner, 39-38--77; Tony Finau, 38-41--79; Carl Jensen, 39-42--81
158 -- Colorado GA
Charles Soule, 40-39--79; Derek Tolan, 41-38--79; Zen Brown, 42-37--79
NOTE: The second round is Wednesday, on Olympic Club's Lake Course. The third round will be Thursday on the Ocean Course and the final round will be Friday on the Lake Course.
To view the latest live scores, click the name of the tournament at the top of this page and follow the results link (amateurgolf.com Premium Membership requested).