After nearly three years away from competitive golf, Fresno’s Michael Jura III made his return in unforgettable fashion—carding rounds of 71 and 68 to win the 2025 Tulare County Amateur by two strokes at Valley Oaks Golf Course.
The 27-year-old, who works in building maintenance at TW Patterson Building in downtown Fresno, started the final round trailing Clovis native Chadley James, who opened with a strong 69 to take the solo lead. But while James posted an even-par 72 to finish at 3-under 141, Jura surged past him with a composed and clinical 68 to finish at 5-under 139.
This was Jura’s first ranked tournament since 2022, and the win was a reminder of the talent that once made him a standout at Cal State Stanislaus, where he earned CCAA All-Academic and All-Conference Honorable Mention honors in his junior year (2019-2020).
Defending champion Nick Woo also returned to the field, finishing 9th with rounds of 74 and 73 for a total of 3-over 147.