SoCal Mid-Am: Torey Edwards holds on for the win

September 1, 2020 | by Brayden Conover of AmateurGolf.com

Torey Edwards (SCGA photo)

One former Long Beach city champion holds off a charge from back in the pack while battling his own game

Holding off a former champion, Torey Edwards claimed the 2020 SCGA Mid-Am Championship on Tuesday. The Long Beach State alum grinded his way to his first win since 2019 at Mission Viejo Country Club. Posting rounds of 68 and 71 Monday, Edwards took a one-shot lead into the final round. Tallying five bogeys over 36-holes, Edwards told AmateurGolf.com that he simply did not have his best stuff Tuesday as he matched his bogey mark over the final 18. “It was probably a little bit of nerves and just anxious energy,” Edwards said. “I knew kind of early on that it was going to be a little bit of a dog fight. The course was playing tough today. I knew I just had to hang in there today.” Staying in the fight, Edwards managed to post an even-par 36 as he made the turn as part of the final group. Aiding him in negating three front-side bogeys was a birdie on No. 4 and a clutch eagle on the par-5 8th which was a huge momentum saver. “It gave me a really big boost and I felt like I got everything back on track but I missed short putts for par on nine and ten which brought me right back in the thick of things,” said Edwards. As he meandered his way through the front side, a few groups ahead of him 2017 SCGA mid-am champion Dan Sullivan was on a tear. Carding four birdies to just one bogey on the front, Sullivan cut his six-shot deficit in half before continuing his charge with three more birdies on the finishing nine for a 6-under 66 just one shot behind Edwards at 4-under for the tournament. As Sullivan waited in the clubhouse, Edwards found his putting stroke to drill home clutch par saves. “Things weren’t going well today,” Edwards said. “I just had to have a little self-talk and remind myself that I was still in it even though I wasn’t playing my best. I couldn’t get frustrated by things not going as well as I had hoped for.” Citing a 10-foot par save on No. 13, Edwards gained a sliver of momentum and immediately birdied the par-5 14th and par-4 17th to bring his round back to even-par and a one-shot victory. The win comes just one year after a slipped disk forced Edwards to withdraw from the event which was held at his home course, Virginia Country Club. It also marks his first SCGA win since 2017 when he won the Tournament of Champions and first overall win since he claimed the 2019 Long Beach City Amateur. “It’s nice to bounce back and be able to get it the next year at a difficult golf course… I’m just excited to outlast everyone and get it done.”

Results: SCGA Mid-Amateur

Place	Player	Location	Pts	Scores
1	Torey Edwards	Long Beach, CA	350	68-71-72=211
2	Dan Sullivan	Pasadena, CA	230	70-76-66=212
T3	Corby Segal	Santa Clarita, CA	140	71-70-73=214
T3	Ryan Wilkins	San Diego, CA	140	70-70-74=214
5	Scott Almquist	Coto de Caza, CA	140	72-73-71=216

View full results for SCGA Mid-Amateur

About the SCGA Mid-Amateur

SoCal Mid-Am: Torey Edwards holds on for the win

The SCGA Mid-Amateur Championship is open to members ages 25 and older with a Handicap Index of 5.4 and below. Competitors undergo 18 holes of qualifying play in order to reach the final field of 84 players. In the Championship, players compete over ...