Blaine Staggs of Carlsbad went low in the final round to win going away.
The 36-year-old Staggs carded a bogey-free, five-under-par 67 in the second and final round to win the 19th Amateur Golf.com San Diego Amateur Championship by five strokes over Anna Davis of Spring Valley on the North Course at Aviara Golf Club in Carlsbad.
“Typically I don’t leaderboard watch until after the front nine, and then I will look to see where I am at,” said Staggs, who won the Encinitas Amateur Championship earlier this year. “Whether I need to push it or not, I just wanted to push it but also play smart. … I just made sure I didn’t make any mistakes.
“The fairways on this course are pretty firm, so I just squeezed a three-wood down there and got it chasing down the fairway on the last hole. I had 133 yards out, and the pin was up front with a backstop behind it, so I knew I could be aggressive and still win.”
Staggs, who also won the 2022 Vista Amateur Championship and the 2021 Rancho Santa Fe Amateur Championship, collected four birdies on the back nine in the final round and recorded a 36-hole score of five-under-par 139.
Davis, 17, who won the 2022 Augusta Women’s Amateur at the age of 16 and will play at Auburn in the Spring, made two birdies down the stretch to finish at 69.
“I had a lot of fun out there,” said Davis, who captured the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley and the Junior Orange Bowl International Championship this year. “It was my second time playing the golf course. It was very tricky and not what I was expecting. I played it a few years back, but do not remember it being this hard. I had a good time.”
First-round leader Michael Caven of Sherman Oaks was third at 68-78—145, followed by Tyler Gerache of Scottsdale, Ariz., at 74-73—147, while Nathan Teng of Fullerton totaled 74-74—148 to tie for fifth with Jonathan Lewis of Yorba Linda, who finished at 72-76—148.
Mattias Morris of Anaheim was seventh at 79-70—149, followed by Christopher Derr of Spring Valley at 74-76—150, while Jieming Yang of Berkeley shot 79-72—151 to tie for ninth with Ryan Hartanto of San Diego, who came in at 73-78—151.
Jeffrey Freeman of Carlsbad claimed the Senior Division title with a score of 70-73—143, one-under-par, followed by Jim Plotkin of Carlsbad at 74-71—145 and Rick Shlemmer of Manhattan Beach at 73-73—146, while Barry Soicher of Mill Valley wound up at 76-71—147 to tie for fourth with Brian Smith of North Tustin, who finished at 73-74—147.
Kirk Stark of Studio City was sixth at 74-75—149, while Daniel Sivadge of El Cajon totaled 82-69—151 to tie for seventh with Kevin Fleet of Encinitas, who wound up at 78-73—151.
Dick Engel of Lancaster carded a score of 77-75—152 to tie for ninth with Bruce Loman of Newport Coast, who finished at 77-75—152, and Kory Frost of Trabuco Canyon, who came in at 75-77—152.
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