LA QUINTA, Calif. (Dec. 3, 2012) -- Low scores were hard to come by, but a 2-under par 70 by Joe Ryon of TaylorMade Adidas GC was enough to land him in a playoff Monday, where he eventually defeated Craig Calkins of Hacienda GC on the second hole to capture the 2012 SCGA Tournament of Club Champions event.
"I hadn't won anything in a while, so it feels really good," said Ryon. "I wasn't sure a 70 was going to be enough, so I was pleasantly surprised. I’m really glad I was able to pull out the win."
The championship was played at SilverRock Resort, which provided a tough challenge for the 113 participants. Just five golfers were able to shoot rounds under par.
Ryon did the bulk of his damage on the front nine, where he birdied three of the first five holes he played. A bogey on the par 4 ninth hole left him at 2-under at the turn. Managing one birdie and floundering for just one bogey on the back nine, however, proved to be enough. Ryon earned exemptions into the 114th SCGA Amateur Championship at San Diego CC and the 29th SCGA Mid-Amateur Championship at a site still to be determined by winning the event.
Finishing tied for third place behind Ryon and Calkins were Joe Sanders of The Quarry, Mark Manwaring of Virginia CC and Bill Borden of Cottonwood, who all finished at 1-under par 71.
ABOUT THE SCGA Tournament of Club Champions
Men’s club champions are invited to play in this 18-
hole event. The club
champion must have a Handicap
Index of 2.4 or below as of the date of registration.
They must be an amateur member in good standing
with the SCGA and a member on the club’s active
SCGA roster at the time they won the championship.
This Division will compete without handicaps. Men’s
club champions with a Handicap Index of 2.5 and
above will play in the net divisions.
View Complete Tournament Information