Torey Edwards wins the Kelly Cup in a playoff

April 28, 2024 | by Justin Golba of AmateurGolf.com

Torey Edwards (Submitted Photo)

Edwards continued his great play, winning the Invitaitonal over Stephen Hale with a birdie on the third playoff hole

Torey Edwards continued his winning ways at the 2024 Kelly Cup Invitational at Lakeside Golf Club in Burbank, Calif., defeating Stephen Hale with a birdie on the third playoff hole after the pair finished 6-under.

Hale shot a first-round 6-under 64 to jump out to the lead and entered the final 18 holes with a three-shot lead over Edwards, but a final round 2-over 72 from Hale and a final round 1-under 69 from Edwards created the playoff.

Hale shot rounds of 64-68-72, while Edwards shot rounds of 67-68-69.

Edwards secured this win after finishing second last year by a one-shot deficit. He entered the final two holes with a two-shot lead but made bogeys on Nos. 17 and 18 to fall back to 6-under and into the playoff.

"It's an honor to win the Kelly Cup after my third time playing," Edwards said. "I finished second last year, losing by one, so I was hungry to win it. The tournament has such a storied history and has had so many great champions, I am thrilled to be a part of the names to have won."

Edwards added, "The competition is always great, and my good friend Stephen Hale and I battled to the end to take the title. He is an amazing player and very tough to beat, so this is a special victory."

Edwards has had a great past 12 months, making the final 16 at the U.S. Mid-Amateur and winning the SCGA Mid-Amateur for the second time. He is ranked No. 67 in the AmateurGolf.com Mid-Amateur Rankings.

"I believe my game is still getting better each year," Edwards said. "The experience you gain from competing in high-level events is so important to come out on top. Having a couple of nice victories to start off the 2024 season gives me a boost of confidence heading into the U.S. Four-Ball next month and summer events."

Edwards added, "I have worked hard on my mental game over the past few years, and that's what seems to be paying off the most. Skills only take you so far in this game. You have to show up truly believing in your ability and figure out how to put up a score when you don't have your best stuff. That is the major separator."

Glen Scher finished in solo third place at 3-under, and Parker Lestz, Jesse Arian, and Corby Segal all finished T4 at 7-over.

This tournament was first contested in 1984, and its purpose is to honor Lakeside's finest amateur golfer, Roger Kelly.

Kelly was a two-time California State Amateur champion and a two-time Crosby Pro-Am champion, winning with Sam Snead and Jay Hebert, respectively.

1937 saw Kelly set the record for the largest winning margin in a final match, 12 and 10. The same year, Kelly broke Bobby Jones' 36-hole stroke play record at the U.S. Amateur with a 142 total.

Kelly also won the Southern California Amateur, the Los Angeles City Championship, and eleven Lakeside Club Championships.

Results: Kelly Cup

Place	Player	Location	Pts	Scores
1	Torey Edwards	Long Beach, CA	150	67-68-69=204
2	Stephen Hale	Bakersfield, CA	100	64-68-72=204
3	Glen Scher	Agoura Hills, CA	50	72-69-66=207
T4	Parker Lestz	Los Angeles, CA	50	72-73-72=217
T4	Jesse Arian	La Crescenta, CA	50	71-74-72=217

View full results for Kelly Cup

About the Kelly Cup

Invitational tournament contested in honor of Lakeside Golf Club's finest amateur golfer, Roger Kelly, who was at the top of California amateur golf in the 1930's. The tournament is flighted by handicap, although every player is eligible to win the o...