Edan Cui wins AmateurGolf.com Pacific Grove City Championship

Edan Cui and Craig Calkins came away with championships at AmateurGolf.com's Pacific Grove (Calif.) City Championship presented by Callaway Golf on Sunday.

Cui, one of the top junior players in the country who attends Crystal Springs Uplands School in Hillsborough, Calif., shot a final round 68 in the final round to earn a one-stroke victory over another top junior, Niall Shiels Donegan of Mill Valley, Calif., while Calkins of Manhatten Beach edged NCGA Hall of Famer Randy Haag (Orinda) and Russell Humphrey (Lodi) in a playoff to win the senior division after all three players finished at 2-over 142 for the 36-hole event.

After opening with a 69 on Saturday, Cui was tied for the lead with Scotland Schmidt (San Diego) before taking control of the tournament with a string of birdies on Holes Nos. 4, 5 and 6 which led to inward nine of 33. The 15-year-old from Atherton was even on the back nine and managed to hold off a hard-charging Donegan, who closed with a bogey-free round of 66 to finish second at 2-under 138.

"Yesterday, I struggled a bit but my short game saved me, said Cui. "Today, my driver was awesome, and that helped me out a lot."

Despite the Pacific Grove Golf Links playing under 6000 yards at par 70, nobody goes very low because the small greens and tight landing areas put a premium on accuracy. Or maybe it's just that distracting to play golf at a course locals call "The poor man's Pebble Beach" -- especially after making the turn and crossing over to the back nine on the famous 17 Mile Drive.

"The course is beautiful," said the champion. "You get to play a tree-lined course on the front nine, and you have the awesome ocean views on the back nine."

Scotland Schmidt of San Diego, the first round co-leader at 69, finished the tournament T4 after a Sunday round of 2-over 72. Schmidt, the winner of the AmateurGolf.com San Diego Amateur in January, was awarded the Mid-Am trophy and bonus for the best score by a player age 25 or over.

In the senior division, Calkins was the beneficiary of a rare stumble by Haag, who holds both the Northern and Southern California Senior Championships. Haag seemed to be cruising towards an easy win, but played his last three holes at 4-over to slip back into a tie with Calkins and Humphrey at 2-over 142.

Calkins then prevailed on the first hole of the three-way playoff, with a birdie on the short par-3 10th.

"I was on the back of the green with a fast 20-foot downhill putt, that I was just trying to two putt," said Calkins. "About three feet from the hole it just dove left and went in."

Butch Pirrone of Modesto won the net division title. The 71-year-old has been coming to the Monterey Peninsula and playing here at Pacific Grove for years. But as for bringing home a victory?

"I'm amazed," he said with a smile, as he held the crystal trophy for the camera.

SPONSOR NOTE
Longtime AmateurGolf.com Tour sponsor Callaway Golf got a big win on Sunday as well, as Jon Rahm played a new Paradym driver and fairway, plus a set of TCB irons and JAWS wedges (and a Chrome Soft ball as well) on his way to victory at Riviera. See what's in Rahm's bag.