PASADENA, Calif. (Aug. 24, 2012) -- Being the odds-on favorite clearly doesn't phase Tim Hogarth. After winning the inaugural SCGA Public Links Championship last year, and having already earned two victories back when the tournament was called the PLGA Amateur Championship, Hogarth (pictured) felt no pressure Friday in the first-round of the 2012 SCGA Public Links Championship, crusing to a first-round score of 4-under par 68 at Brookside GC.
The former SCGA Amateur Champion, and former Brookside Men's Club member, carded a clean round of four birdies and no bogeys on Brookside's #1 course.Right on Hogarth's heels, however, was another SCGA veteran who's quite familiar with the Brookside course.
Dan Sullivan, Pasadena resident and current Brookside member, finished the round a stroke away from the leader, firing a 3-under par 69, and also avoiding any bogeys.Kevin Fitzgerald of Riverside matched Sullivan's score and sits T2 heading into Saturday's second round.
Also competing in the event is Brittan Mai, current Northwestern golfer, who is the only woman in the 100+ person field. Mai shot a first-round score of 10-over par 83, but was satisfied to be keeping up with the boys.
"It was a little rough, but at the beginning I was a little bit nervous just because this is my first time playing with the guys," Mai said. "It was a good experience, though. I started playing a little better towards the end, but I'm hoping tomorrow will be better."
Joining Mai in the field is her 16-year-old brother Brandon, who will likely make the 36-hole cut barring a major setback Saturday. Brandon recorded a Friday score of 3-over par 75.Players were met with overcast skies to start the morning, before the sun broke through mid-morning. With it, however, came the heat, which sat at a warm 90 degrees throughout most of the day.
The event will continue Saturday with 18 more holes of stroke play before the top 30 players and ties advance to Sunday's final round. In addition to the gross competition, more than 50 golfers will simultaneously compete in the net portion of the event beginning Saturday.
ABOUT THE SCGA Public Links
The SCGA Public Links Championship is formerly the
PLGA Amateur Championship, which started in 1968.
This Championship is open to amateurs who are
members of the SCGA who have a current Handicap
Index of 5.4 or below at the time of registration.
Players who are listed on a private or semi-private
club’s member roster are ineligible.
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