SAN JOSE, Calif. (Aug. 25, 2013) — The 2013 San Jose City Championship ended in spectacular style, with 17 year-old Owen Hutchison capping off a bogey free day of golf, by winning the title on the second playoff hole.
Hutchison began his round with 17 straight pars, and ended the regulation round with a six-foot birdie putt to post 70-70-140 (-2). First round leader Chris Whalen, followed his opening score of 65 (-6), with a final round of 75 (+4), to get into the sudden-death playoff.
After matching pars on the first playoff hole, both competitors made an adventure out of hole 2. Whalen hit is second to the par five hole, out of bounds, and then hit stroke number 4 on to the front edge of the green, leaving a fifty-plus foot par attempt. Hutchison hit his second into a lateral hazard to the right of the second green, and was left with an almost impossible third. After getting the ball out of the hazard, but leaving a difficult pitch left to a short sided pin, Hutchison looked on as Whalen's par attempt came up two feet short. Hutchison promptly pitched to about 18 inches, and was able to save par for the victory.
90 players played in the Championship Flight, and 22 in the Senior Flight, giving us the largest, and most competitive field since the return of the event four years ago.