Isaac Rodea returned to Bear Creek Golf Club with unfinished business and left as the 126th California State Open Champion. The Temecula native fired rounds of 69-70-64-68 for a 17-under-par total of 271, finishing three shots clear of the field.

Held June 22-25 at Bear Creek Golf Club in Murrieta, the championship is conducted by the Southern California PGA and annually attracts many of California’s top professionals and elite amateurs.

After finishing just one shot shy of the title a year ago, Rodea used his familiarity with Bear Creek’s Jack Nicklaus-designed layout to capture one of California’s most prestigious championships.

“It feels really good to win this Championship here at Bear Creek,” Rodea said. “To get redemption after coming so close last year means the world to me.”

Laguna Niguel’s Hudson Vedder earned Low Amateur honors at 14-under-par 274, highlighted by a tournament-best 10-under 62 in the third round.

First contested in 1900, the California State Open is California’s oldest professional golf championship. Past champions include Walter Hagen, Gene Littler, Jerry Barber, Roger Maltbie, Kirk Triplett and Jason Gore. Complete results and tournament information are available at 

scpga.com and BlueGolf.com.

39 Holes to Glory: Kailer Stone Wins California Amateur

The 115th California Amateur Championship delivered a dramatic finish at historic Hacienda Golf Club in La Habra Heights, where Kailer Stone of Alameda captured the prestigious Edward B. Tufts Trophy after an epic 39-hole championship match.

The tournament began with 36 holes of stroke play before the field was cut to the top 32 for match play. Mitchell Hoey of Alamo earned medalist honors with brilliant rounds of 65-66 (-13), finishing nine shots clear of the field. His opening 65 came within one stroke of the Hacienda course record set by Tiger Woods during the 1994 SCGA Amateur Championship.

The final paired Team California members Max Emberson of Thousand Oaks against Stone, an incoming Pepperdine freshman and two-time defending Northern California Junior champion. Emberson held a two-hole lead with three holes remaining, but Stone rallied by winning the 16th and 17th holes before both players bogeyed the 36th sending the match to extra holes, the first California Amateur final playoff since 1999.

After two playoff pars, Stone buried a birdie on the 39th hole to secure the title and earn an exemption into the 126th U.S. Amateur Championship at historic Merion Golf Club, capping one of the most memorable finishes in championship history.