Stephen Hale wins the Southern California Mid-Am
4/20/2021 | by Jim Young of AmateurGolf.com
see also: View results for SCGA Mid-Amateur, Bear Creek Golf Club
The former Cal standout claimed the SCGA Mid-Am title in a three-hole aggregate playoff over Torrey Edwards and Tim Hogarth
Persistency finally paid off for Stephen Hale on Tuesday as the former Cal standout claimed the SCGA Mid-Amateur championship in a three-hole aggregate playoff on Tuesday at the Victoria Club in Riverside, Calif.
Hale fired a final round 6-under 66 to finish at 8-under 205 for his three rounds to earn a spot in a playoff with a pair of heavyweights in five-time SCGA Mid-Amateur Champion Tim Hogarth (North Hills) and defending champion Torrey Edwards. After the three players parred the first two playoff holes, Hale drained a 25-foot putt from the fringe for birdie on the par-5 18th hole and when Edwards’ misfired on a 15-foot birdie putt that would have extended the match, the Bakersfield native laid claim to his first-ever SCGA title.
Edwards began the final round three strokes off the pace of second-round leader Hogarth but rattled off four straight birdies on holes, 2, 3, 4 and 5 to take a one stroke lead en route to a closing round 65.
Hogarth's red-hot inward nine featured birdies on 10, 14 and 15 and narrowly missed a bid for a third straight birdie on No. 16. Hogarth dropped back into a tie with Edwards after a pulled drive into the water on No. 17 led to a bogey. One stroke back at 7-under heading into the final hole, Hale birdied the 18th to move into a tie for the lead at 8-under and watched anxiously as Hogarth’s birdie putt for the outright win came up just short, sending the trio into three-hole aggregate playoff.
After the three players carded pars on the first two playoff holes, Hale drained a 25-foot putt from the fringe for birdie on the par-5 18th hole and when Edwards’ misfired on a 15-foot birdie putt that would have extended the match, the Bakersfield native laid claim to his first-ever SCGA title.
Hogarth’s poor drive led to a bogey on the third playoff hole, leaving center stage to Hale and Edwards. After Hale rolled in his 25-footer from the fringe for birdie and Edwards’ birdie attempt missed on the right side, the 32-year-old was in possession of one of Southern California’s most-coveted amateur titles.
The victory was a long-time coming for Hale, who reached the final 32 in last year’s U.S. Mid-Amateur and was medalist at the 2020 California State Amateur.
Results: SCGA Mid-Amateur
| Place | Player | Location | Pts | Scores |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bakersfield, CA | 350 | 68-71-66=205 | |
| T2 | Long Beach, CA | 230 | 73-67-65=205 | |
| T2 | Northridge, CA | 230 | 67-70-68=205 | |
| 4 | La Quinta, CA | 140 | 67-72-70=209 | |
| 5 | San Clemente, CA | 140 | 73-69-69=211 |
About the SCGA Mid-Amateur
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 ...
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