MORGAN HILL, California (January 16, 2016) -- The Silicon Valley Amateur is a tournament dominated by college players more than any of our "Tour" events.
Among the 90 Championship Flight contestants today were more than a dozen Cal Bears, a nice contingent of St. Mary's Gaels, as well as the occasional San Jose State Spartan, Cal Davis Aggie, and more than this writer can remember after a long day at 7:00pm.
Tied at the top, with an up-and-down round that included eight birdies, is Travis Rowney. After bogeying the 10th hole (his first) and marking par on No. 11, he scored three birdies in a row on Nos. 13-15; he would go on to duplicate the "hat trick" on his second nine on Nos. 4, 5, and 6. Watch out for this San Jose State Spartan (from Pleasanton, Calif.) if he can steady the bogeys tomorrow on the Nicklaus Tournament Course.
Cal player Walker Huddy, who hails from Studio City, posted the same 4-under 68 -- but his was much less eventful, as in bogey-free.
That same moniker goes to bogey-free Ben Doyle, Huddy's teammate at Cal who is in a three way tie for third with two other Cal Bears, Sebastian Crampton and 2015 Trans-Miss Amateur winner Collin Morikawa.
Doyle, from La Jolla, scored his first AmateurGolf.com trophy at the Christmas Classic last month at Del Monte.
The low Mid-Am golfer 25-years and over was Robby Salomon; he fired 70 and this 2015 U.S. Am qualifier from the Monterey Bay should be dangerous tomorrow.
SENIOR/NET
Steve Donnelly of Salinas posted a solid 74 to lead Jeff Britton by a shot. Britton recently ran away with the Tour Championship; it's possible runner-up Donnelly is looking for some revenge. (Actually we're all friends but what the heck, it should be a great final round.)
Abi Vickram has a nice margin in the Net Division after and even par 72.
