SCGA Mid-Am: Wilson holds on to win by 1

23 Apr 2008
see also: Southern California Mid-Amateur Championship, Santa Ana Country Club
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INDIAN WELLS, April 22 – Last year, veteran Northern California Golf Association amateur Jeff Wilson of Fairfield (east of Berkeley) decided to join the SCGA to play in the association’s major championships. Good decision, Jeff!

The 44-year-old Wilson, often a standout in Northern California and national events, took a 5-shot lead into the final round of the 25th SCGA Mid-Amateur Championship today and needed every shot of that margin to outlast Kevin Marsh of Henderson, NV, by one shot at Toscana CC.

Wilson, who belongs to SilverRock Resort in La Quinta, shot a 1-over-par 73 today and finished at 206, 10 under par over the Jack Nicklaus-designed South Course. Marsh, the 2005 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion and 1996 SCGA Amateur winner who belongs to La Cumbre CC, closed with a 68 today for a three-round total of 207.

Will Tipton of Corona del Mar, playing on his home course, shot 74 today finished in third place at 212, a shot in front of Scott McGihon of Bermuda Dunes, who closed with a 69 today for a 54-hole total of 213.

Although Wilson has been medalist three times at the U.S. Mid-Amateur and has been a semifinalist in that event three times, this was his first major individual victory. “When you’re trying to win a tournament,” said Wilson after his round, “sometimes it’s hard to slam the door.”

Wilson had four birdies and five bogies on his round today. “It wasn’t quite as easy as yesterday,” said Wilson after his round. “I hit the ball as well as I did yesterday, but I lost all confidence in my putter and got very tentative.” Emblematic of those problems was the 426-yard 18th hole, where Wilson carved in a lovely 8-iron shot and then proceeded to three-putt. “I was glad I had a two-shot margin,” he said later.

Marsh strung together birdies on Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 5 to close a six-shot deficit but bogied two of his final three front-nine holes to finish with a 2-under-par 34. He then birdied two of his first four holes on the back side but finished with five consecutive pars. “I played very well today tee to green,” he said “but I couldn’t get a putt to drop. On No. 13, I hit my worst putt all day and it went in, but that was the only one.”

The top five finishers earned exemptions into this year’s SCGA Amateur and California Amateur and the top 10 earned exemptions into next year’s SCGA Mid-Amateur.

Final results from Toscana Country Club follow:

Pos	Player, Hometown	+/-	Rd1	Rd2	Rd3	Tot
1	Jeff Wilson, Fairfield, CA	-10	67	66	73	206
2	Kevin Marsh, Henderson, NV	-9	71	68	68	207
3	Will Tipton, Corona De Mar, CA	-4	70	68	74	212
4	Scott McGihon, Bermuda Dunes, CA	-3	67	77	69	213
T5	Kent Wiese , Huntington Beach, CA	-1	73	72	70	215
T5	John Balfanz, Bakersfield, CA	-1	72	70	73	215
T7	Dan Jennings, Los Angeles, CA	E	71	72	73	216
T7	Brandon DiTullio, Thousand Oaks, CA	E	69	71	76	216
9	Tim Hogarth, Northridge, CA	1	76	72	69	217
T10	Keith Kinsel, Glendale, CA	3	72	73	74	219
T10	Scott Almquist, Coto de Caza, CA	3	76	73	70	219
T12	Jason Bittick, Coto de Caza, CA	4	71	74	75	220
T12	Masao Sugimoto, San Diego, CA	4	75	73	72	220
T14	Tyler Crawford, Rancho Mirage, CA	5	76	72	73	221
T14	Bill Frankhouser, Bakersfield, CA	5	74	73	74	221
T14	Howie Knodt, Chula Vista, CA	5	72	77	72	221
T17	Ted Olsen, Coto de Caza, CA	6	74	72	76	222
T17	Don DuBois, Newport Beach, CA	6	73	75	74	222
T17	John McClure, West Los Angeles, CA	6	70	75	77	222
T20	Scott Stevens, La Quinta, CA	7	77	71	75	223
T20	George Downing, Santa Barbara, CA	7	73	73	77	223
T20	Robert Funk, Canyon Lake, CA	7	74	72	77	223
T20	David Bartman, Los Angeles, CA	7	75	70	78	223
T20	Steve Bogan, Placentia, CA	7	76	73	74	223
T20	John Pate, Santa Barbara, CA	7	72	72	79	223
T26	John O'Donnell, Los Angeles, CA	8	75	73	76	224
T26	Brian Barre, Fullerton, CA	8	72	78	74	224
T28	John Adams, San Clemente, CA	9	75	75	75	225
T28	Pete Roberts, San Marcos, CA	9	74	76	75	225
T30	David Lebowitz, Santa Monica, CA	10	71	74	81	226
T30	Jerry Chang, Los Angeles, CA	10	72	76	78	226
T32	Michael Mendez, Chula Vista, CA	11	75	74	78	227
T32	Mark C. Miller, West Covina, CA	11	78	74	75	227
T32	Sal Gaytan, Tustin Ranch, CA	11	76	75	76	227
T35	Tim Lawlor, North Hollywood, CA	12	71	77	80	228
T35	Donald O'Connor, Carlsbad, CA	12	74	78	76	228
T37	James Meyer, Dana Point, CA	13	77	70	82	229
T37	Charley Black, Murrieta, CA	13	76	71	82	229
T37	Rick Winslow, La Quinta, CA	13	77	74	78	229
T37	Steve Yavorsky, Capistrano Beach, CA	13	77	74	78	229
T41	Gary Havro, Claremont, CA	14	74	76	80	230
T41	Jeff Clayton, Carpinteria, CA	14	75	76	79	230
T41	Rick Nolan, Trabuco Canyon, CA	14	75	77	78	230
44	Mark Etue, Escondido, CA	16	74	74	84	232
45	Byron Taylor, Carlsbad, CA	19	80	72	83	235
	Did Not Make Cut
CUT	Paul Rice, Redlands, CA	9	78	75		153
CUT	Jim Osborn, Hacienda Heights, CA	9	77	76		153
CUT	Dan Sullivan, Pasadena, CA	9	82	71		153
CUT	Gerry Simoni, Carlsbad, CA	9	75	78		153
CUT	Joey Behrstock, Beverly Hills, CA	9	75	78		153
CUT	Clarke Rheney, La Quinta, CA	9	76	77		153
CUT	Mark Modglin, Simi Valley, CA	10	75	79		154
CUT	Forrest Blake, West Hills, CA	10	79	75		154
CUT	Brad Miller, Costa Mesa, CA	10	77	77		154
CUT	Joe Sanders, La Quinta, CA	11	76	79		155
CUT	Greg Sato, South Pasadena, CA	11	76	79		155
CUT	Daniel Donovan, Manhattan Beach, CA	11	76	79		155
CUT	Cass Traub, Long Beach, CA	11	77	78		155
CUT	Dane Chapin, Carlsbad, CA	11	78	77		155
CUT	Jeff Johnston, Calabasas, CA	12	77	79		156
CUT	Don Ceglar, Rancho Santa Fe, CA	12	81	75		156
CUT	Dick Engel, Quartz Hill, CA	12	77	79		156
CUT	Jerry Ledzinski, Carmel, CA	12	76	80		156
CUT	Charles Kavanaugh, Irvine, CA	12	79	77		156
CUT	Jonathan Petke, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA	13	78	79		157
CUT	Robert Osborn, Glendora, CA	13	79	78		157
CUT	Mark Manwaring, Long Beach, CA	14	79	79		158
CUT	David Ober, Riverside, CA	14	81	77		158
CUT	John Ramirez, La Mesa, CA	14	78	80		158
CUT	Doug Higgins, Oceanside, CA	16	77	83		160
CUT	Brandon Mojarro, Canyon Lake, CA	16	76	84		160
CUT	Nolan Taira, Irvine, CA	16	80	80		160
CUT	Dan Chappelle, San Diego, CA	17	83	78		161
CUT	Johnny Holmes, Riverside, CA	17	77	84		161
CUT	Darren Slackman, Indio, CA	17	80	81		161
CUT	Bryson Groat, Palm Desert, CA	17	82	79		161
CUT	Billy Crawford, Burbank, CA	19	84	79		163
CUT	Eddie Cho, Los Angeles, CA	19	85	78		163
CUT	Mark Sumida, Laguna Niguel, CA	19	80	83		163
CUT	John Philipson, Beverly Hills, CA	21	84	81		165
CUT	Patrick Carrigan, Walnut, CA	22	88	78		166
CUT	Dale Keene, Bakersfield, CA	25	84	85		169
CUT	Ross Edwards, Vista, CA	25	85	84		169
WD	Mark Coulter, Encino, CA	8
WD	Patrick Duncan, Rancho Santa Fe, CA
WD	Steve Mata, Vista, CA
WD	Tim Mickelson, San Diego, CA

ABOUT THE SCGA Mid-Amateur

The SCGA Mid-Amateur Championship is open to members ages 25 and older with a Handicap Index of 5.4 and below. Competitors undergo 18 holes of qualifying play in order to reach the final field of 84 players. In the Championship, players compete over 54 holes of stroke play with the top 42 players and ties advancing after 36 holes to the final round.

View Complete Tournament Information

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