Haag set to defend Stocker Cup title
10/22/2012 | by AmateurGolf.com Staff
see also: Stocker Cup 2012 Invitational and Senior Invitational, The Preserve Golf Club
The field is set for the premier mid-am event at The Preserve. Here's a look at the top players to watch
CARMEL, Calif. (Oct. 22, 2012)—The field is officially set for the 2012 Stocker Cup, which will be played October 25-28 at The Preserve Golf Club in Carmel. The Stocker Cup, played in memory of Peter Stocker, once again has a field that includes multiple state champions, with literally hundreds of collective appearances in USGA events. (Several have played in the US Open or The Masters.)
Players to watch:
MID-AMATEUR DIVISION (Age 25 and over)
· Randy Haag (San Francisco, California) - Three-time Stocker Cup winner Haag, 53, continues to dominate Northern California golf, and compete in USGA and other major amateur events, against players half his age. Two-time low amateur in the British Senior Open (2010, 2011), Haag is fresh off another club championship victory (his 8th) at the Olympic Club. Haag is freakishly long, and straight off the tee, and one of the few top amateurs to putt side-saddle. His success with this technique was the subject of an October 20, 2012 Wall Street Journal story.
· Kevin Marsh (Henderson, Nevada) – Marsh, the 2009 and 2010 Stocker Cup Champion always brings his “A” game to The Preserve. He also lived the dream of any amateur, by being invited to and competing in the 2006 Masters as a result of winning the 2005 USGA Mid-Amateur. He is known for his Tour-quality putting but there is no part of his game that is lacking. The 39-year-old Marsh shows no sign of letting up – he captured the 2012 California State Amateur Championship in June.
· Brad Wilder (Fort Wright, Kentucky) – Wilder, 33, has recorded top-7 finishes the last two years in the Stocker Cup – in 2010 he was edged by a single shot by a surging Kevin Marsh in an exciting final round on a (rare) wet October day at The Preserve. This year Wilder recorded a 4th place finish at the stacked-field Azalea Invitational in March, and went on to win the Kelly Cup at California’s Lakeside Golf Club in April.
· Craig Doell (Vancouver, BC, CANADA) – Doell, a member of the Canadian National golf team, returns to try to capture his third title, having won in both 2004 and 2007. This year he finished 3rd in the Canadian Mid-Am, and won his 5th Victoria City Amateur.
TATUM CUP (Age 55 and over, competes from same tees as Mid-Am and eligible for overall title)
· Brady Exber (Las Vegas, Nevada) – Exber has a solid overall game and, at age 57 the defending Tatum Cup champion is enjoying success at the senior and amateur level. In 2012 he captured the Coleman Senior (Seminole), and finished 5th in the British Senior Amateur. He qualified for the USGA Senior Amateur, and a day after being eliminated in match play there rushed to Charleston and won the Senior Azalea Amateur in a playoff. Exber is ranked 3rd in the U.S. in the amateurgolf.com Senior Rankings.
· David Nelson (Las Vegas, Nevada) – Nelson, 56, excels in the “majors” and holds the course record at The Preserve – a 7-under 65 that he carded in the second round of the 2004 Stocker Cup. Nelson finished 19th in 2011. This year he placed 13th in the British Senior Am, and 15th at the Coleman Senior. Nelson is likely the only player in the field to have qualified for the US Open as an amateur.
· Dan Bieber (Alamo, California) – Bieber has been “Mr. USGA” the past four years; it would be fitting if he won the title named in honor of Frank “Sandy” Tatum, past president of the USGA. Bieber played in the 2008, 2009, and 2010 USGA Senior Amateurs, advancing to match play each time. He also qualified for the 2009 and 2010 US Senior Open.
With so many talented amateurs in the field, it is difficult to identify favorites. To view a list of all competitors including photos and playing resumes, visit www.stockercup.com/contestants.htm. Amateurgolf.com will be on site throughout the tournament, providing daily coverage which will be posted on the Stocker Cup website.
About the Stocker Cup
This event is dedicated to the memory of Peter C. Stocker, a prominent west coast real estate developer and avid amateur golfer who died in a tragic helicopter accident in 1990. The premier mid-amateur tournament on the West Coast, this is a 72 hole ...
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