Zack Tarter continued a strong summer run with a three-shot victory in the 2023 Visalia City Amateur Championship at Valley Oaks Golf Course in Visalia, California.
The Hanford, California, golfer posted matching rounds of 4-under 68 to finish the 36-hole championship at 8-under 136. Tarter entered the final round one shot behind Fresno’s Kevin Cook but delivered another 68 to pull clear and secure the title.
Cook, who held the opening-round lead after a 5-under 67, closed with a 72 to finish runner-up at 5-under 139.
Jack Peters and Aaron Froley shared third at 2-under 142. Peters followed an opening 68 with a 74, while Froley made a significant move with a final-round 67 after starting with a 75. Ron Perez rounded out the top five at 1-under 143.
The victory added to an impressive stretch for Tarter, who had begun finding consistent results over the previous two months.
Earlier in the summer, Tarter earned a place in the U.S. Junior Amateur after sharing the top score at qualifying at Copper River Country Club in Fresno. Initially listed as the first alternate, he later gained entry into the championship in Charleston, South Carolina.
Although his U.S. Junior Amateur appearance ended in stroke-play qualifying, Tarter responded with a runner-up finish at the NCGA Junior Championship, shooting rounds of 67, 71 and 71 for a 209 total.
He carried that form into August, finishing T13 at the 120th NCGA Amateur Championship at Spyglass Hill Golf Course, before adding the Visalia City Amateur title to a season that included three top-10 finishes across nine starts.
