Torey Edwards of Long Beach held off Dan Sullivan of Pasadena to win the 37th Southern California Mid-Amateur Championship by one stroke at Mission Viejo Country Club.
Edwards, who took a one-stroke lead after 36 holes, struggled a bit in the final round, but made an eagle on the eighth hole and several clutch par saves to overcome five bogeys, and carded a tap-in birdie on the 17th hole to pull out the victory.
“It was probably a little bit of nerves and just anxious energy,” said Edwards, who played at Long Beach State and claimed his last victory in the 2019 Long Beach City Amateur Championship. “I knew kind of early on that it was going to be a little bit of a dogfight. The course was playing tough today. I knew I just had to hang in there.
“Things weren’t going well today. I just had to have a little self-talk and remind myself that I was still in it even though I wasn’t playing my best. I couldn’t get frustrated by things not going as well as I had hoped for.”
Edwards, who also won the 2017 SCGA Tournament of Champions, finished with a score of 68-71-72—211, 5-under-par, while Sullivan, who won the 2017 SCGA Mid-Am title, collected seven birdies in the final round and finished at 70-76-66—212.
Corby Segal of Santa Clarita, who won this event in 2016, shot 71-70-73—214 to tie for third with Ryan Wilkins of San Diego, who finished at 70-70-74—214.
Scott Almquist of Coto de Caza was fifth at 72-73-71—216, while Duke Kulas of Rancho Mirage totaled 66-75-76—217 to tie for sixth with Cullen Brasfield of La Quinta, who wound up at 71-69-77—217.
Stephen Hale of Bakersfield was eighth at 71-72-75—218, while Alex Hird of Thousand Oaks shot 74-75-70—219 to tie for ninth with Nathan Celusta of Newbury Park, who came in at 72-74-73—219.
Other previous winners of the tournament include Tim Hogarth, Craig Steinberg, John Pate, Scott McGihon, Mark Johnson, Sandy Galbraith, Mitch Voges, Jeff Wilson, Robert Funk and Ramie Sprinkling.
For complete results, visit https://scga-2020scgamid-amateurchampionship.golfgenius.com/pages/2497541
