By Ron Salsig, for amateurgolf.com

CARMEL, CA (October 13, 2005) -– Last week was for the pros, this week the amateurs.

One week after his success at Harding Park, Sandy Tatum is hard at work at another pet project. The Stocker Cup is Tatum’s attempt to bring a major, world-class amateur golf championship to the west coast, very much like Harding Park brought professional golf back to San Francisco.

“A key element in the selection of Walker Cup players has been the major amateur invitationals on the east coast,” Tatum said. “Save for the Pacific Coast Amateur, there really were no similar opportunities for golfers in the west, prior to the Stocker Cup.”

The Stocker Cup began in 1991, but only recently has it caught the attention of world-class amateurs, after switching to a mid-am format. Craig Doell, the defending champion, epitomizes the kind of player this invitational solicits, as arguably Canada’s best amateur golfer.

The best amateurs from North America came to the highly regarded Preserve Golf Club in the hills south of Carmel Valley, but Thursday’s first round was a celebration of local talent. Nick Ushijima, the 2000 San Francisco City champ at Harding, and Terrence Miskell, winner of the 1986 California State Amateur, share the lead at 1-under-par 71.

“I just returned from Japan so I guess I’m an international player now,” said the likeable Ushijima, who had six birdies in his round, more birds than any other player.

Miskell, who also won the 1990 Pacific Coast Amateur, has retired from a professional golf career and now calls himself a house-husband.

“My wife supported me while I played pro golf and now it’s my turn to give back,” said Miskell, whose wife is an M.D.

The Salinas native had a two-stroke lead before making bogeys on the final two holes.
George Kelley, age 55, did most of the talking the night before in the pairings party as the MC. But he was the talk of the tournament the next day, after an even-par round of 72 and a tie for third place.

Kelley is tied with Chip Lutz, two-time club champ at Pine Valley, Chris Carlson of Colorado, Northern Nevada Player-of-the-Year Joe Sanders, Olympic Club club champ Phil Huff, and Jeff Wilson, who was low amateur in the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.

Stocker Notes:
Tatum is currently back east, selling both Harding Park and the Stocker Cup to the USGA, but he will be here over the weekend. Tatum is also the co-designer of The Preserve with Tom Fazio … Ushijima also leads the best-ball competition in the Crosby-like format, teaming with Jon Reynolds of Oakland for a 62 and a two-stroke lead … Defending champ Doell shot a 79 … Paul Simson of North Carolina, the low amateur at the 1998 U.S. Open at the Olympic Club, dazzled everyone with a course-record tying 65 in Wednesday’s practice round, the first time he ever saw the course. He shot 74 in the first round.

Ron Salsig can be reached at rsalsig@pacbell.net

* * * *

First round results from the Stocker Cup Invitational, played at The 7067 yard, par-72 Preserve Golf Club:

(Note: Leading team scores are shown below individual A player scores)

Pos	Name	Club	Round 1
T1	Terrence Miskell	Dos Rios Golf Club	33-38--71
T1	Nick Ushijima	Olympic Club	35-36--71
T3	Chip Lutz	Pine Valley	35-37--72
T3	Chris Carlson	Highlands Ranch	38-34--72
T3	George Kelley	Stevinson Ranch	35-37--72
T3	Phil Huff	Olympic Club	37-35--72
T3	Jeff Wilson	Green Valley Country Club	35-37--72
T3	Joe Sanders	Incline Village Golf Club	36-36--72
T9	Steve Nichols	Walnut Hills Country Club	36-37--73
T9	Kenny Weixel	New Albany Country Club	35-38--73
T9	Tripp Davis	Belmar Golf Club	38-35--73
T12	Alex Stamey	Olympic Club	38-36--74
T12	Dave Rathjen	The Golf Club	37-37--74
T12	Jerry Ledzinski	Quail Lodge	35-39--74
T12	Paul Simson	North Ridge Country Club	37-37--74
T16	Brad Wilder	Triple Crown Country Club	38-37--75
T16	Scott Crawshaw	Brookside Golf Club	38-37--75
T16	Mike Goodes	Pennrose Park Country Club	37-38--75
T16	Dave Nelson	Montreux Golf and Country Club	37-38--75
T20	Gene Elliott	Glen Oaks Country Club	39-37--76
T20	Jim Lehman	Windsong Farm Golf Club	36-40--76
	Dave Capel	Stevinson Ranch Golf Club	35-42--77
	Mark Maguire	Claremont Country Club	39-38--77
	Joe Hillman	Wolf Run Golf Club	37-40--77
	Keith Kinsel	Oakmont Country Club	39-38--77
	Bowen Osborn	Windsong Farms	38-39--77
	Mike Rowley	San Luis Obispo Country Club	39-39--78
	Mark Gardner	Redlands Country Club	41-37--78
	Bob Niger	Serrano Country Club	39-39--78
	Steve John	Tehama Golf Club	39-39--78
	Greg Lopez	Dove Canyon Country Club	39-39--78
	Garrett Larson	UC Golf Club	36-42--78
	John Pate	The Valley Club	40-38--78
	Kevin Todey	Saticoy Country Club	40-39--79
	Craig Doell	Victoria Golf Club	39-40--79
	Mike Kelley	New Albany Country Club	42-37--79
	Gary Young	Scratch Players	38-41--79
	Jimmy Bryan	Latrobe Country Club	39-41--80
	John Balfanz	Stockdale Country Club	41-39--80
	Rob Martin	Rancho Murieta Country Club	38-42--80
	Graham Banister	Wildwood Green Golf Club	41-39--80
	Stan Lent	The Preserve Golf Club	38-43--81
	Todd Barsotti	San Joaquin Country Club	40-41--81
	Matt Foley	Los Altos Golf and Country Club	41-42--83
	Sal Felice	San Juan Oaks Mission Golf Club	42-41--83
	Brian Thibault	Cinnibar Hills Golf Club	40-44--84
	John Benson	Totteridge Golf Club	44-40--84
	Jerry Maatman	Chicago Golf Club	40-44--84
	Trent Tessler	Scratch Players Golf Club	42-43--85
	Will Johnson	North Ridge Country Club	42-43--85
	Patrick Pernice	amateurgolf.com	44-42--86
	Pat Mateer	Spyglass Hill	42-46--88

TEAM RESULTS (Top 10 only shown):

62 - Nick Ushijima, Olympic Club, Jon Reynolds, Claremont Country Club
64 - Phil Huff, Olympic Club, Keith Anderson, Claremont Country Club
64 - Joe Sanders, Incline Village Golf Club, Mike Flynn, OlympicClub
65 - Alex Stamey, Olympic Club, Mike Klassen, Monterey Peninsula Country Club
65 - Chip Lutz, Pine Valley, Dick Doerr, Montreux Golf and Country Club
65 - Tripp Davis, Belmar Golf Club, John Bottomley, The Preserve Golf Club
66 - Brad Wilder, Triple Crown Country Club, Jim Rheim, Monterey Peninsula C.C.
67 - Chris Carlson, Highlands Ranch, Jim Fletcher, Los Altos Golf & Country Club
67 - Greg Lopez, Dove Canyon Country Club, Mike Michalski, Meadow Club
67 - Kenny Weixel, New Albany Country Club, Kelly Erardi, Monterey Peninsula C.C.
67 - Paul Simson, North Ridge Country Club, John Rodenburg, Rumson Country Club
67 - Mike Kelley, New Albany Country Club, Bob Ceremsak, Lake Merced Golf Club

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