Shotaro Ban of San Jose turned back Joshua Sedeno of Roseville, 5 and 4, in the scheduled 36-hole final of the 104th California Amateur Championship at Lake Merced Golf Club in Daly City.
Ban, a 21-year-old senior at Cal, built a 3-up lead in the morning 18, but slipped early in the afternoon round when he missed a 4-foot par putt on the second hole. However, Sedeno could get no closer than 2 down.
“It’s very special to have my name on that (trophy),” said Ban, who joined such previous winners as Johnny Miller, Ken Venturi, Gene Littler, Mark O’Meara, John Cook and Duffy Waldorf. “There are so many names on that trophy that have gone on to do great things.
“Hopefully this is a stepping stone for me and I can build off of it and do bigger things in the future. It’s awesome. Hopefully I pave the way for other players in the (Cal) program. I want to try to be a role model for future Bears.”
Ban became the first Golden Bear player to win the title, although Charlie Wi won in 1990 before he transferred from Nevada-Reno to Cal.
Sedeno, a 17-year-old senior at Del Oro High near Sacramento who has committed to SMU, missed several chances to cut into the lead before Ban pulled away.
“I had a huge chance in that stretch (early in the afternoon) to get the match back to all-square, and it went the other way,” said Sedeno, who won the Memorial Championship in Sacramento earlier this year. “I should’ve stayed calm and kept in my routine.”
Ban virtually clinched the victory with a seven-foot birdie putt on the 31st hole to take a 5-up lead and it was over one hole later when they halved the 32nd with birdies.
