- SCGA Photo by Phil Vitek
RANCHO SANTA FE and LA JOLLA, Calif. (June 21, 2010) -- On two courses today, two generations of standout golfers -- Harry Rudolph of La Jolla and Patrick Cantlay of Los Alamitos -- both shot 3-under-par 69, to lead the first round of the 99th California State Amateur Championship at Rancho Santa Fe GC and La Jolla CC.
Rudolph, 40, who won the 1991 California State Amateur, the 2010 Kelly Cup and is the reigning San Diego City champion, and Cantlay, 18 and this year's CIF-CGA State High School Boys champion, lead three golfers tied at 2-under-par 70: Randy Haag of Burlingame (at La Jolla), Scott Almquist of Coto de Caza and Kevin Fitzgerald of Riverside (both at Rancho Santa Fe).
Of the 156 players in the field, only 11 broke par (all six players who shot 1-under did so at La Jolla CC), while 12 players shot even-72.
Defending champion Geoff Gonzalez of San Luis Obispo, who started his round birdie-birdie at La Jolla, slipped to a 2-over 74 and is currently tied for 36.
In the Roger Lapham team matches, all played at La Jolla today, the Southern California team of Jason Bittick (Ladera Ranch, 71), Rudolph, Nick Delio (Valencia, 79), Bhavik Patel (Bakersfield, 79), Tyler Crawford (Rancho Mirage, 71) and Kevin Marsh (Henderson, Nev.; 72) hold a two-shot lead over the Northern California team of Taylor Travis (Fremont, 74), Gonzalez, Darryl Donovan (Morgan Hill, 75), Haag, Jeff Wilson (Fairfield, 76) and Scott Hardy (Pleasant Hill, 71). The low five of six scores count toward the team total, and Southern California is the defending champion.
Tomorrow, players will switch courses and players will be cut to the low 32 scores (a playoff will take place at Rancho Santa Fe for ties). Following the round, the stroke-play medalist will be awarded and the seeding will be set for Wednesday's Round of 32 at Rancho Santa Fe.
ABOUT THE California Amateur
The Championship is open to amateur golfers
who have established current indexes of 4.4
and are members in good standing of the
Southern California Golf Association, the
Northern California Golf Association, or the
Public Links Golf Association of Southern
California. Nonexempt players must qualify. An
entrant may play in only one qualifying event,
even
if
the golfer
belongs to clubs in both Southern California
and Northern California. The 18-hole
qualifying
rounds will determine the qualifiers.
The championship field will play 36 holes of
qualifying at a Northern or Southern California
Location, with the low 32 golfers from that
combined field moving on to match play (with
a
playoff, if necessary, to determine the final
spots).
Two rounds each of 18-hole match play will
follow on Thursday and Friday and the 36-hole
final match will be on Saturday.
The location will rotate yearly between
Northern and Southern California locations.
View Complete Tournament Information