Pacific Coast Amateur: Tyson Shelley chases down the final group for comeback win

July 28, 2023 | by Justin Golba of AmateurGolf.com

Tyson Shelley (Pacific Coast Amateur Photo)

Shelley tied the course record at 8-under par 62 and birdied the second playoff hole to secure the win up North.

While all eyes were on the final group in the final round of the 56th Pacific Coast Amateur, Tyson Shelley of Salt Lake City, Utah, came from down the leaderboard to shock everyone.

Shelley shot a bogey-free 8-under 62 to leap 12 spots on the leaderboard and force a playoff with second and third-round leader Jack Buchanan of Australia.

Buchanan struggled, shooting a 1-over 71 but was still able to get in the playoff at 13-under with Shelley.

In the playoff, both players made par on the first hole, and then on the par-5 second hole, Buchanan missed the green and made par while Shelley was on the green in two shots and had a stress-free two-putt to win the championship.

"Everything just clicked when I was out on the course," Shelley said. "Off the tee, I was really confident in hitting the fairways, and I was able to execute that. Once I got the ball in play, my putter was really dialed this week, and I was able to hit some good putts, and I was fortunate enough to get a couple of long (putts) to drop."

Shelley added, "I didn't really know what I was at score-wise until I looked on the 18th green and saw that I was in contention."

The 62 tied the competitive course record and the lowest tournament round of Shelley's career.

"I actually started the round off slow by making par on the getable par-5, and then the birdies came afterward," Shelley said. "I wanted to play consistently throughout the day and give myself good looks all day."

After 72 holes and four days of golf, Shelley still had plenty of energy heading into the extra holes against Buchanan.

"I felt good during the playoff," Shelley said. "I did have a lot of adrenaline going, which pumped me up but overall, I felt like I had great energy to keep going."

Chuan-Tai Lin of Taiwan, Neal Shipley of Pittsburgh, Pa., and Jeffrey Guan of Australia all finished T3 at 11-under par.

Omar Morales of Mexico also had a phenomenal day, shooting 6-under 64 to vault 18 spots up the leaderboard and finishing T6.

Shelley knows how important this win is, with it being an Elite Amateur Series event and a talented field.

"It means a lot to me and my confidence," Shelley said about the win. "Especially this last round. It made me realize that a tournament is never over until it is over. I think this win has my confidence high, and I am able to compete at high levels in any tournament."

Results: Pacific Coast Amateur

Place	Player	Location	Pts	Scores
1	Tyson Shelley	Salt Lake City, UT	1000	69-69-67-62=267
2	Jack Buchanan	, Australia	700	65-65-66-71=267
T3	Chuan-Tai (Teddy) Lin	, Chinese Taipei	500	70-68-65-66=269
T3	Neal Shipley	Pittsburgh, PA	500	69-67-67-66=269
T3	Jeffrey Guan	, Australia	500	67-67-65-70=269

View full results for Pacific Coast Amateur

About the Pacific Coast Amateur

Pacific Coast Amateur: Tyson Shelley chases down the final group for comeback win

Although its present history only dates from 1967, the Pacific Coast Amateur Championship's roots make it one of the oldest amateur golf championships in American history. The first tournament was held on the links of San Francisco Golf Club at The P...