CARMEL, Calif. (Oct. 16, 2008) -- After last year's Stocker Cup Invitational, where Craig Doell topped Pat Tallent in a one-hole playoff after each finished at 1-over, tournament chairman George Kelley noted that: "This year, the course won."

If the first round is any indication, the 2008 field of golfers is looking to take the title back.

Georgia's Billy Williams grabbed the early at The Preserve Golf Club with a 2-under-par 70 despite bogeying the final three holes.

"I putted really well for the first 15 holes, I ended up with six birdies and four bogeys," said Mitchell, noting that his knowledge of the course was a factor after playing for the first time last year. "That's huge, knowing where to place the balls, for example, some of these greens, you just can't above the pin. These greens go from rolling a 12-14 to rolling 22's. I struck the ball well and never felt out of control.

Mitchell, a golf-specific trainer who works with high school and college golfers in Georgia, is chased by a pair of competitors with impressive resumes.

Tim Jackson of Tennessee is a two-time U.S. Amateur winner (1994, 2001) who has also won three straight Birmingham National Invitational tournaments. Jackson trails by a stroke in his first Stocker Cup, as does veteran Jim Lehman of Minnesota, who was the runner-up in 2001.

There are 15 golfers within five strokes.

In the chase for the Elliott Cup, a 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, the Northern California pairing of Garrett Larson and Martin Connolly put up a scorching 10-under 62, to leave the competition five strokes back.

Connolly, a native Irishman who now owns a series of pubs in San Francisco, got things started for the team with four straight gross birdies on the his back nine (holes 1-4).

"If I live to be 200, I'll never do it again," said Connolly, before someone at the bar yelled to him that he should admit to skulling a off the pin for a birdie.

"That information stays on the course," he laughed.

amateurgolf.com will be on site throughout the tournament, providing daily coverage and a tournament video wrap-up which will be posted on the Oct. 20, be sure to check back in with us to keep up with the action.

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 October 2, eighteen competitors with a handicap index of 2.4 or lower vied for the final two A-list spots in the main tournament. Hank McCusker and Stephen Molinelli joined the field after carding 68 and 71, respectively, at Harding Park in San Francisco.

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.

Fulll results follow:

Name	Club	Rd.1
Billy Mitchell	River Pines Golf Club	70
Tim Jackson	Ridgeway Country Club	71
Jim Lehman	Windsong Farm Golf Club	71
Bob Burton	Estancia Club	73
Mike Kelley	New Albany Country Club	73
Joe Hillman	Wolf Run Golf Club	73
TJ Brudzinski	Worthington Hills Country Club	73
Steve White	Teton Pines Country Club	73
Brad Wilder	Triple Crown Country Club	73
Chris Marin	Del Monte Golf Club	74
Mark Mance	The Preserve Golf Club	74
Ron Ewing	Merced Country Club	74
Joe Sanders	Montreux Country Club	74
Stephen Nichols	Walnut Hills Country Club	75
Mike Rowley	San Luis Obispo Country Club	75
Brady Exber	TPC Summerlin	75
David Nelson	Montreux Golf and Country Club	75
Jon Mathias	La Cantera Golf Club	76
Chris Carlson	Highlands Ranch Golf Club	76
John Pate	The Valley Club	76
Michael Karlberg	Old Greenwood Golf Club	76
Billy Williamson	Coldstream Country Club	76
Alex Stamey III	Everett Golf and Country Club	77
Garrett Larson	UC Golf Club	77
Tripp Davis	Belmar Golf Club	77
Jon Lindstrom	Legacy Ridge Golf Club	77
Robert Funk	Canyon Lake Country Club	78
Chip Lutz	Ledgerock Golf Club	78
Brad Penfold	Valley Hi Country Club	78
Hank McCusker	Little River Inn Golf Club	78
Keith Kinsel	Los Angeles Country Club	78
Phillip Huff, IV	The Olympic Club	78
Kent Wiese	Brookside Golf Club	78
Ed Cuff, Jr.	The Farms Golf Club	78
Ryan Mitchell	Montreux Golf & Country Club	79
Tom Brandes	Rainier Country Club	79
Kevin Kobalter	Meadow Club	79
Jerry Ledzinski	Tehama Golf Club	79
Todd Barsotti	San Joaquin Country Club	79
Randy Haag	Olympic Club	80
Dan Sullivan	Brookside Golf Club	80
Stephen Molinelli	The Olympic Club	81
Jason Pridmore	Spanish Hills Country Club	81
Andrew Gabelman	Barrington Hills Country Club	82
Garth Watrous	Seascape Golf Club	85
Brock Palmer	Trump National Golf Club	86

 

 

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