Santa Barbara City Champ: Gama sets new record
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (May 26, 2008)--Santa Barbara native Brandon Gama needed a stellar performance if he wanted to pull off a victory at the Santa Barbara City Championship, and he did just that, turning in a new tournament-record score of 17-under-par 193 over three days of play at the Santa Barbara Golf Club.
The score of his nearest competitor, Michael Flynn, was only one stroke off the previous best tournament score. He finished at 197.
The previous record was set in 1983 by Sam Randolph, who would go on to win the California and U.S. Amateurs two years later.
Gama, who played junior college golf at Santa Barbara City College and hopes to walk on to the Arizona State squad next year, still needed birdies on three of the final five holes to salt away the victory.
He held only a one-stroke lead through nine holes on the final day of play. He went 64-62-67--193, with his second round total three strokes off tying the course record.
Jeff Wilson, recently seen winning the SCGA Mid-Amateur, took third at 199 while Kevin Marsh was making a run at the top spot until consecutive double bogeys on the final two holes derailed him.
Top finishers follow:
| Name |
Score |
| Brandon Gama |
193 |
| Michael Flynn |
197 |
| Jeff Wilson |
199 |
| Kevin Marsh |
200 |
| John Pate |
201 |
| Chris Saterlee |
203 |
| Andrew Perez |
203 |
| Jeff Grant |
204 |
| Robert Garske |
206 |
| Jim Campione |
206 |
ABOUT THE Santa Barbara City
The tournament, held during Memorial Day
Weekend, is a 54-hole individual stroke
play
championship by flights, maximum
handicap 16.0 for men, 34.9 for women (women play
net competition only).
The field is cut after 36 holes to the low 30% plus ties.
View Complete Tournament Information