Cameron Tringale of San Juan Capistrano, Calif., who has hovered at the top of the leaderboard for three rounds, and Mike Knight of Calgary, Alberta, who tied the tournament’s low round today, are deadlocked for the lead heading into tomorrow’s final round of the 41st Pacific Coast Amateur Championship at San Diego Country Club.

The 19-year-old Tringale, a rising junior at Georgia Tech, shot a 2-under-par 70 today while the 21-year-old Knight, the 2007 Alberta Golf Association Match Play champion, had six birdies and just one bogey today for a 5-under-par 67.  Each are at 210, 6 under par over the 7,033-yard layout. 

They are two shots in front of 2005 Pacific Coast Amateur champion Alex Prugh of Spokane, Wash., who raced across the country Monday from the Western Amateur to compete here, and three mid-amateurs: three-time Southern California Golf Association (SCGA) Amateur champion Scott McGihon of Bermuda Dunes, University of San Diego golf coach Tim Mickelson and 33-year-old Brett Martin of Phoenix, a former minitour player who just got his amateur status back in May.

Prugh, a graduate of the University of Washington with an outside shot of making the U.S. Walker Cup squad, shot 70 today.  The 39-year-old McGihon, a middle school teacher and high school golf coach in Southern California’s Coachella Valley, had a 3-under-par 69.  Martin and Mickelson, 29, also shot 70 today.

Tee times for the final round begin at 7:30 a.m. with the leaders going off the first tee at 9:27 a.m.  Live, hole-by-hole scoring will be at www.pacificcoastamateur.com.

Cameron Tringale (top) and Micheal Knight are tied for lead after three rounds. Photo by Robert D. Thomas

Tringale, the 2006 Atlantic Coast Conference champion who shared the first-round here after shooting 67, was philosophical about today’s round. “It was pretty boring,” he said, “which is a good thing on a tough course.  The front nine seemed like it was always fairway, green, a long ways from the pin, two putts.  I tried to stay patient and figured that eventually I’d start to play well, and that’s what happened because I made three birdies on the back.”

Tringale might have held the outright lead were it not for a bogey 5 on the 18th hole.  “I caught a flier lie and hit it way over the green,” he explained.  “I was happy to make bogey from there.”

For Knight, the key was putting, as it has been all week.  “The greens weren’t as fast as the first round,” he said, “but they still get your attention.  Making par putts was a key for me.  I hit 13 greens in regulation today, but every time I missed one, I was able to chip to within five feet and make the putt.”

McGihon was bemoaning what might have been. “I shot 69 but it could have been so much better,” he said.  “I had three 3-putts from inside 20 feet today and had to make a downhill 10-footer on No. 18 to stay under 70.  I’m amazed I’m as close as I am.”

Martin, who won 10 times on minitours but returned to the amateur ranks this year, is just happy to be playing well.  “Every night,” he said with a wry smile, “I go home and say to myself, ‘I have no chance against these kids because they hit the ball so well,’ but here I am.” 

He brings a gentler attitude to the course these days.  “Now it’s just for fun and I’m enjoying myself,” he said.   I expect to hit a bad shot or two but I don’t care. If I can figure out how to not bogey nos. 9 and 18, I might have a chance.”  He’s made two bogies on the ninth and gone bogey and double-bogey on the 18th hole.  “These greens will leave you talking,” he said with a chuckle.

Third-round leader Keegan Bradley of Jackson, Wy. suffered a quadruple-bogey 9 on the eighth hole today and also had four bogeys to end up tied for 15th at even-par 216 after skidding to a 77 today. 

A shot in front of him is defending champion Patrick Nagle of Pacifica, Calif., who posted a 75 today after consecutive rounds of 2-under-par 70.  Nagle is bidding to become just the third player to win consecutive titles, joining Mike Davis in 1969-70 and Billy Mayfair in 1987-88.

Round Three Photo Gallery

THIRD-ROUND RESULTS:

41st Pacific Coast Amateur Championship

at San Diego Country Club; San Diego, Calif.
7,033 yards; par 72

54-hole results:

 210 -- Cameron Tringale, San Juan Capistrano, CA, 67-73-70; Mike Knight, Calgary, AB, 72-71-67.

212 -- Alex Prugh, Spokane, WA, 74-68-70; Brett Martin, Phoenix, AZ, 71-71-70; Scott McGihon, Bermuda Dunes, CA, 69-74-69; Tim Mickelson, San Diego, CA, 70-72-70.

213 -- Andrew Kelly, Melbourne, Australia, 72-73-68.

214 -- Brett Kanda, La Crescenta, CA, 75-69-70; Derek Berg, Duvall, WA, 74-70-70; Jesse Barnsley, Albuquerque, NM, 74-69-71.

215 -- Brady Exber, Las Vegas, NV, 69-72-74; Josh Anderson, Murrieta, CA, 73-69-73; Nick Geyer, Albuquerque, NM, 68-74-73; Patrick Nagle, Pacifica, CA, 70-70-75.

216 -- Adrien Bernadet, Versailles, France, 70-73-73; Keegan Bradley, Jackson, WY, 69-70-77; Tim Hogarth, Northridge, CA, 72-73-71.

217 -- Jake Younan-Wise, Lubbock, TX, 73-69-75; Louie Bishop, Murrieta, CA, 73-73-71; Tim McKenney, Scottsdale, AZ, 71-72-74; Zen Brown, Arvada, CO, 74-72-71.

218 -- Casey Watabu, Kapaa, HI, 77-74-67; Craig Doell, Victoria, BC, 74-74-70; Dustin Pimm, Sandy, UT, 75-67-76; John Cassidy, Yelm, WA, 69-73-76; Ryan Posey, Dallas, TX, 68-72-78.

219 -- Bryan Toth, Victoria, BC, 71-71-77; Jim Strickland, Scottsdale, AZ, 73-70-76; Scott Clark, Draper, UT, 74-72-73.

220 -- Aaron Weston, Lone Tree, CO, 76-69-75; Joel Dahmen, Seattle, WA, 75-74-71; Jordan Nasser, Anaheim Hills, CA, 76-69-75; Pat Grady, Broomfield, CO, 73-70-77.

221 -- Alex Shi Yup Kim, Fullerton, CA, 75-77-69; Andrew Yun, Chandler, AZ, 74-72-75; Brandon Putnam, Albuquerque, NM, 73-70-78; Brian Edick, Valencia, CA, 77-73-71; Derek Sipe, Yorba Linda, CA, 72-73-76; Erik Hanson, Kirkland, WA, 72-74-75; Mauricio Tamez, Monterrey, Mexico, 73-77-71; Mitchell Gillis, Corvallis, OR, 73-74-74; Nitipat Krobteeranon, Samutprakarn, Thailand, 76-71-74.

222 -- Adam Hagen, Scappoose, OR, 67-77-78; Arvo Voip, Magalia, CA, 71-79-72; Kris Wasylowich, Lethbridge, AB, 74-73-75; Victor Dubuisson, Mougins, France, 76-71-75.

223 -- JJ Wood, Yuma, AZ, 73-72-78; Nick Becker, Boise, ID, 74-74-75.

224 -- Ben Fox, Studio City, CA, 77-72-75; Blake Trimble, Rancho Santa Fe, CA, 79-68-77; Nick Travers, Boise, ID, 71-77-76; Todd Griffin, Casper, WY, 77-76-71.

225 -- Michael Jensen, Los Altos, CA, 69-81-75; Tye Alexander, Los Angeles, CA, 74-75-76.

226 -- Joe Sawaia, Henderson, NV, 76-73-77; John Chin, Temecula, CA, 75-76-75; Ryan Swelin, Sundre, AB, 73-75-78.

227 -- Cody Upham, Vancouver, WA, 75-75-77; Diego Munoz de Cote Artigas, Mexico City, Mexico, 73-76-78; Matt Savage, Scottsdale, AZ, 74-79-74; Steve Ziegler, Broomfield, CO, 75-78-74.

228 -- Dodge Kemmer, Wichita, KS, 73-81-74; Zach Bixler, Richland, WA, 82-69-77.

229 -- Adam Fowler, San Diego, CA, 76-76-77; Ben Griffin, Victoria, BC, 75-77-77; Casey Boyns, Pacific Grove, CA, 78-74-77; Robert Gonzales, Socorro, NM, 80-77-72.

230 -- David Nelson, Reno, NV, 75-74-81; Tim Cha, Chino Hills, CA, 76-74-80.

231 -- Eric Peterson, Nampa, ID, 75-77-79; Joe Sanders, Incline Village, NV, 76-75-80; Micah Burke, Los Angeles, CA, 81-75-75; Michael Karlberg, Truckee, CA, 76-81-74; Narinrit Tantrakul, Bankkok, Thailand, 80-80-71.

232 -- Howard Knodt, Chula Vista, CA, 81-74-77.

233 -- Nic Van Vuuren, Cedar Hills, UT, 79-82-72.

234 -- Michael May, Big Piney, WY, 80-77-77; Supakorn Uthaipat, Bangkapi, Bangkok, 77-75-82.

236 -- Ed Susolik, Newport Beach, CA, 81-77-78.

238 -- Craig Junio, Las Vegas, NV, 80-77-81.

240 -- Alejandro Escobedo, Chula Vista, CA, 85-79-76.

241 -- Daniel Harrington, Chandler, AZ, 79-81-81.

242 -- Nick Nelson, Alpine, UT, 85-79-78.

250 -- Jeff Richardson, Scottsdale, AZ, 88-79-83.

NOTE: The final round is Friday.

You might think that of all the contestants in the 41st Pacific Coast Amateur Championship Erik Hanson would be the person most interested in tracking Barry Bonds’ pursuit of the all-time major league home run record.  After all, Hanson pitched 11 years in the big leagues with stints in Seattle, Cincinnati, Boston and Toronto.  He’s also one of the 445 pitchers to have given up a home run to Bonds (as of no. 756).

However, you would be wrong.  “I’m probably the person least interested in Barry,” says the 6’6” Hanson, who divides his time between homes in Kirkland, Wash., and Arizona.  “It’s nothing personal against Barry; baseball isn’t in the forefront of my life right now. 

“I haven’t seen a baseball game in years, continues Hanson.  “The last game I went to was in 2002, during the Mariners’ 25th anniversary season, when I was invited to through out the first pitch of a game.” 

Instead, the 42-year-old Hanson spends most of his time on the golf course.  He won the 2004 Northwest Open and the 2005 Oregon Open (both as an amateur) and was runner-up in this year’s Washington State Open.

Erik Hanson has traded baseball gloves for golf glove. Photo by Robert D. Thomas

Hanson remembers his “Barry” home run, which occurred in 1994 in Cincinnati.  “It was about 30 pounds ago,” chuckles Hanson about Bonds.  “I was leading 4-0, there was no one on base, and I fell behind in the count 2-0.  I didn’t want to walk him, so I threw a fast ball down the middle and he did what he usually does with that kind of pitch: mashed it.”  However, that wasn’t his most memorable Bonds at bat.  Hanson once struck out the slugger three times on nine pitches at Candlestick Park.

Four years earlier, Hanson struck out Jose Canseco three times on nine pitches.  “Canseco came up for a fourth time and I heard our TV announcer say that nobody had ever struck out a batter four times on 12 pitches,” remembers Hanson.  “I only had three pitches — fast ball, curve ball and change-up — and all I did was vary the order of the pitches in each at bat and hit my spots.  My first two pitches to Jose were strikes and I decided to throw a curve ball that would start at his head and then bend back into the strike zone.  Jose would always bail on that pitch, but this time, as he was falling away, he sort of half-flicked his bat at the ball and hit a ground ball.  There went my only chance at a record.”

Ask Hanson about the issue of steroids in baseball and he’s refreshingly upfront.  “It’s such broad story,” he says, “and unless you’ve played the game at the major league level, it’s hard to really understand it.  Certainly baseball didn’t realize the implications of the issue until a few years ago. 

“The biggest problem with steroids,” continues Hanson, “is that they work.  Many people consider ‘andro’ [Androstenedione, the supplement that became synonymous with Mark McGwire] a steroid, and virtually every position player I knew took ‘andro.’  And while I agree with Barry that steroids can’t improve your hand-eye coordination, I believe that they do make your mistakes go further, perhaps over the fence instead of to the warning track.”

However, says Hanson, the primary reason ballplayers took steroids (or andro) was durability.  “You have no idea how grueling it is to play major league baseball,” says Hanson.  “You’ve got 30 spring training games, 162 regular-season games and the playoffs.  Plus all the time you spend training and rehabbing from nagging injuries.  Moreover, lots of time when you have an off day, you’re traveling, sometimes across the country, which is debilitating.  Steroids help you overcome the exhaustion; they give you a lot more stamina, and that’s really crucial as the season — and you — wear down.”

Hanson experimented with one supplement, Creatine, just once.  “I didn’t even know there were any rules against steroids at the time,” he says.  “No one did.  Our attitude was it help in recovery; you used it because it worked.”  Except that Creatine didn’t work for him.  “After I took it,” he remembers, “I got cramps.  It did seem to give a boost of energy but it wasn’t worth it.”

Hanson has closed the book on his baseball life and moved on.  He didn’t follow Barry’s chase because he rarely watches television.  “I spend a couple of hours each day reading the newspaper cover to cover,” he says.  “That’s the way I get nearly all of my news.  Barry wasn’t even on my radar screen.”

With all three individuals contributing in at least one round, the Pacific Northwest Golf Association successfully defended its Morse Cup title with a seven-shot victory. With the best two of three individual scores in each of the two rounds, PNGA finished at 278, 10 under par. Sun Country GA and Northern California GA tied for second at 285.

The PNGA victory was a perfect example of ham‘n egg golf.  Zack Bixler, who 82 yesterday, made the tournament’s best comeback with a 69 today, counterbalancing Adam Hagen, who shot 5-under-par 67 yesterday but finished 10 shots higher today.  John Cassidy shot 69-73; his score counted each day.

Colorado, Southern California and Washington State all staged comebacks today and finished at 286, a shot behind Northern California and Sun Country.  The SCGA and Washington State went 148-138, while Colorado posted 147-39.  In the oddity of the week, all three SCGA players shot 3-under-par 69 today.

L-R: PNGA Trustee John Bracken, John Cassidy, Zach Bixler, Adam Hagen.
Photo by Troy Andrew

41st Pacific Coast Amateur Championship
Morse Cup Competition Results

at San Diego Country Club; San Diego, Calif.
7,033 yards; par 72

FINAL 36-hole results (best two of three scores each day count for team total):

278 -- Pacific Northwest GA, 136-142.
John Cassidy, 69-73 -- 142; Adam Hagen, 67-77 -- 144; Zach Bixler, 82-69 -- 151

285 -- Northern California GA, 141-144.
Patrick Nagle, 70-70 -- 140; Arvo Voip, 71-79 -- 150; Casey Boyns, 78-74 -- 152

285 -- Sun Country Amateur GA, 141-144.
Nick Geyer, 68-74 -- 142; Brandon Putnam, 73-70 -- 143; Robert Gonzales, 80-77 -- 157

286 -- Colorado GA, 147-139.
Pat Grady, 73-70 -- 143; Aaron Weston, 76-69 -- 145; Zen Brown, 74-72 -- 146

286 -- Southern California GA, 148-138.
Josh Anderson, 73-69 -- 142; Brett Kanda, 75-69 -- 144; Jordan Nasser, 76-69 -- 145

286 -- Washington State GA, 148-138.
Alex Prugh, 74-68 -- 142; Derek Berg, 74-70 -- 144; Joel Dahmen, 75-74 -- 149

289 -- Alberta GA, 145-144.
Mike Knight, 72-71 -- 143; Kris Wasylowich, 74-73 -- 147; Ryan Swelin, 73-75 -- 148

290 -- British Columbia GA, 145-145.
Bryan Toth, 71-71 -- 142; Craig Doell, 74-74 -- 148; Ben Griffin, 75-77 -- 152

290 -- Southern Nevada GA, 145-145.
Brady Exber, 69-72 -- 141; Joe Sawaia, 76-73 -- 149; Craig Junio, 80-77 -- 157

292 -- Oregon GA, 145-147.
Derek Sipe, 72-73 -- 145; Mitchell Gillis, 73-74 -- 147; Cody Upham, 75-75 -- 150

292 -- Wyoming GA, 146-146.
Keegan Bradley, 69-70 -- 139; Todd Griffin, 77-76 -- 153; Michael May, 80-77 -- 157

296 -- Idaho GA, 145-151.
Nick Becker, 74-74 -- 148; Nick Travers, 71-77 -- 148; Eric Peterson, 75-77 -- 152

300 -- Arizona GA, 150-150.
Brett Martin, 71-71 -- 142; Danial Harrington, 79-81 -- 160; Jeff Richardson, 88-79 -- 167

300 -- Northern Nevada GA, 151-149.
David Nelson, 75-74 -- 149; Joe Sanders, 76-75 -- 151; Michael Karlberg, 76-81 -- 157

304 -- Utah GA, 153-151.
Scott Clark, 74-72 -- 146; Nic Van Vuuren, 79-82 -- 161; Nick Nelson, 85-79 -- 164

305 -- Public Links GA of Southern California, 155-150.
Tye Alexander, 74-75 -- 149; Micah Burke, 81-75 -- 156; Ed Susolik, 81-77—158.

KEEGAN BRADLEY has One-Shot Lead at Midpoint of 41st Pacific Coast Amateur Championship

Three tied for second

Bradley, a 21-year-old student at St. Johns University in New York City, leads defending champion Patrick Nagle of Pacifica, Calif., who posted his second consecutive round of 70 today; co-first-round leader Cameron Tringale of San Juan Capistrano, Calif., who slipped from a 67 yesterday to a 1-over-par 73 today; and Ryan Posey of Dallas, Tex., who was a shot behind the leaders beginning today’s round but could manage only an even-par 72.  All three are at 140, 4 under par over the 7,033-yard San Diego CC layout.

Brady Exber of Las Vegas, one of two 51-year-olds in the field, also shot even par today and is alone in fifth place at 141, 3 under par.

Nine golfers are tied at 2 under par, including University of San Diego golf coach Tim Mickelson and reigning California Amateur champion Josh Anderson of nearby Murrieta.

The tournament’s third round is tomorrow and the championship concludes Friday.  Tee times tomorrow begin at 7:30 a.m. with the leaders going off the first tee at 9:27 a.m.

Bradley, whose father runs the Jackson Hole Golf and Tennis Club, came into the tournament with high expectations. “I came in expecting to win,” said Bradley after his round, “and I’m very happy where I’m sitting right now,” despite the fact that, by his assessment, he played less than stellar golf.  “I didn’t hit it all that well today,” said Bradley, “but I scrambled really well and somehow found a way to get the ball in the cup.”

Although Bradley made four bogeys on his concluding nine holes, he pointed to the 12th hole (his third of the day) as the key.  “I plugged my approach shot in the bunker and all I could do was smash it out,” he said.  “But I chipped in from 60 feet for par and that jump-started my round.”  Overall, Bradley had five birdies, a bogey and a double-bogey 6 on his 14th hole of the day.

Nagle is bidding to become just the third player in the tournament’s 41-year-history to win consecutive titles, following Mike Davis in 1969-70 and Billy Mayfair in 1987-88.  “The history crossed my mind a little bit coming in,” said Nagle, “but you can’t think about it now.”

As did virtually every other golfer, Nagle pointed to the course’s slick, sloping greens as the key to victory.  “I knew coming in that the winner would be someone who putted really well, and I haven’t done that,” he said. “I haven’t putted poorly but I’ve had some putts roll over edges and it’s really tough to go low without making those.”

Nagle will be in the final pairing tomorrow with Bradley and Posey.

Click HERE for a Round 2 photo gallery.

Keegan Bradley has a one-shot lead midway through the 41st Pacific Coast Amateur Championship at San Diego Country Club.  Photo by Robert D. Thomas.

41st Pacific Coast Amateur Championship - Second Round Results

at San Diego Country Club; San Diego, Calif.
7,033 yards; par 72

36-hole results:

139 -- Keegan Bradley, Jackson, WY, 69-70.

140 -- Cameron Tringale, San Juan Capistrano, CA, 67-73; Patrick Nagle, Pacifica, CA, 70-70; Ryan Posey, Dallas, TX, 68-72.

141 -- Brady Exber, Las Vegas, NV, 69-72.

142 -- Alex Prugh, Spokane, WA, 74-68; Brett Martin, Phoenix, AZ, 71-71; Bryan Toth, Victoria, BC, 71-71; Dustin Pimm, Sandy, UT, 75-67; Jake Younan-Wise, Lubbock, TX, 73-69; John Cassidy, Yelm, WA, 69-73; Josh Anderson, Murrieta, CA, 73-69; Nick Geyer, Albuquerque, NM, 68-74; Tim Mickelson, San Diego, CA, 70-72.

143 -- Adrien Bernadet, Versailles, France, 70-73; Brandon Putnam, Albuquerque, NM, 73-70; Jesse Barnsley, Albuquerque, NM, 74-69; Jim Strickland, Scottsdale, AZ, 73-70; Mike Knight, Calgary, AB, 72-71; Pat Grady, Broomfield, CO, 73-70; Scott McGihon, Bermuda Dunes, CA, 69-74; Tim McKenney, Scottsdale, AZ, 71-72.

144 -- Adam Hagen, Scappoose, OR, 67-77; Brett Kanda, La Crescenta, CA, 75-69; Derek Berg, Duvall, WA, 74-70.

145 -- Aaron Weston, Lone Tree, CO, 76-69; Andrew Kelly, Melbourne, Australia, 72-73; Derek Sipe, Yorba Linda, CA, 72-73; JJ Wood, Yuma, AZ, 73-72; Jordan Nasser, Anaheim Hills, CA, 76-69; Tim Hogarth, Northridge, CA, 72-73.

146 -- Andrew Yun, Chandler, AZ, 74-72; Erik Hanson, Kirkland, WA, 72-74; Louie Bishop, Murrieta, CA, 73-73; Scott Clark, Draper, UT, 74-72; Zen Brown, Arvada, CO, 74-72.

147 -- Blake Trimble, Rancho Santa Fe, CA, 79-68; Kris Wasylowich, Lethbridge, AB, 74-73; Mitchell Gillis, Corvallis, OR, 73-74; Nitipat Krobteeranon, Samutprakarn, Thailand, 76-71; Victor Dubuisson, Mougins, France, 76-71.

148 -- Craig Doell, Victoria, BC, 74-74; Nick Becker, Boise, ID, 74-74; Nick Travers, Boise, ID, 71-77; Ryan Swelin, Sundre, AB, 73-75.

149 -- Ben Fox, Studio City, CA, 77-72; David Nelson, Reno, NV, 75-74; Diego Munoz de Cote Artigas, Mexico City, Mexico, 73-76; Joe Sawaia, Henderson, NV, 76-73; Joel Dahmen, Seattle, WA, 75-74; Tye Alexander, Los Angeles, CA, 74-75.

150 -- Arvo Voip, Magalia, CA, 71-79; Brian Edick, Valencia, CA, 77-73; Cody Upham, Vancouver, WA, 75-75; Mauricio Tamez, Monterrey, Mexico, 73-77; Michael Jensen, Los Altos, CA, 69-81; Tim Cha, Chino Hills, CA, 76-74.

151 -- Casey Watabu, Kapaa, HI, 77-74; Joe Sanders, Incline Village, NV, 76-75; John Chin, Temecula, CA, 75-76; Zach Bixler, Richland, WA, 82-69.

152 -- Adam Fowler, San Diego, CA, 76-76; Alex Shi Yup Kim, Fullerton, CA, 75-77; Ben Griffin, Victoria, BC, 75-77; Casey Boyns, Pacific Grove, CA, 78-74; Eric Peterson, Nampa, ID, 75-77; Supakorn Uthaipat, Bangkapi, Bangkok, 77-75.

153 -- Matt Savage, Scottsdale, AZ, 74-79; Steve Ziegler, Broomfield, CO, 75-78; Todd Griffin, Casper, WY, 77-76.

154 -- Dodge Kemmer, Wichita, KS, 73-81.

155 -- Howard Knodt, Chula Vista, CA, 81-74.

156 -- Micah Burke, Los Angeles, CA, 81-75.

157 -- Craig Junio, Las Vegas, NV, 80-77; Michael Karlberg, Truckee, CA, 76-81; Michael May, Big Piney, WY, 80-77; Robert Gonzales, Socorro, NM, 80-77.

158 -- Ed Susolik, Newport Beach, CA, 81-77.

160 -- Danial Harrington, Chandler, AZ, 79-81; Narinrit Tantrakul, Bankkok, Thailand, 80-80.

161 -- Nic Van Vuuren, Cedar Hills, UT, 79-82.

164 -- Alejandro Escobedo, Chula Vista, CA, 85-79; Nick Nelson, Alpine, UT, 85-79.

167 -- Jeff Richardson, Scottsdale, AZ, 88-79.

NOTE: The third round of the championship is tomorrow (Thursday) and the final round is Friday.

CAMERON TRINGALE, ADAM HAGEN Share Lead After First Round of 41st Pacific Coast Amateur Championship

Pacific Northwest Golf Association holds 5-shot lead in Morse Cup Competition

By Robert D. Thomas

Cameron Tringale of San Juan Capistrano, Calif. and Adam Hagen of Scappose, Ore. each shot 5-under-par 67 today at San Diego Country Club and share the first-round lead at the 41st Pacific Coast Amateur Championship.

The 19-year-old Tringale, a rising junior at Georgia Tech, and the 24-year-old Hagen, the 2007 Oregon Amateur and Oregon Public Links champion, are a shot in front Ryan Posey of Dallas, Tex. and Nick Geyer of Albuquerque, NM, who each posted 68 today. 

Five golfers are tied for fifth at 3-under-par 69, including three-time Southern California Golf Association (SCGA) Amateur champion Scott McGihon of Bermuda Dunes, Calif. and 51-year-old Brady Exber of Las Vegas, one of two 50+ golfers in the tournament.

Hagen joined with John Cassidy of Yelm, Wash. to send defending champion Pacific Northwest Golf Association to a 5-shot lead over Sun Country GA and the Northern California GA after the first round of the annual Morse Cup Team Competition, held concurrently with the first two rounds.  Cassidy was one of those who posted a 69 today. 

With the best two of three individual scores each round counting for the team total, the PNGA is at 136, 8 under par.  Sun Country, bolstered by Geyer’s 68, is at 141, 3 under par, tied with the NCGA, which was led by a 2-under-par 70 from defending champion Patrick Nagle of Pacifica, Calif.

The second round of the Pacific Coast Amateur will be played tomorrow (Wednesday), with play continuing on Thursday and Friday.  Morse Cup play wraps up tomorrow.

Under warm, sunny skies in suburban San Diego, 17 of the 84 golfers overcame the 7,033-yard course and its lightning-fast greens to break par.  Tringale, who won the 2006 Atlantic Coast Conference championship as a freshman, had seven birdies and two bogeys on his round, while Hagen, a southpaw, posted six birdies and a bogey.

Posey, who was in day’s first group that started on the first hole, could have made it a three-way tie but he made bogey 5 on the 17th hole, his second bogey of the day.  Geyer posted five birdies and a lone bogey en route to his 68.

Nagle’s round of 70 put him in a tie for 10th place after the first round. Nagle, the 2003 California Amateur champion, is bidding to become just the third golfer to win back-to-back championships (the last to do so was Billy Mayfair in 1987-88).

After making a cross-country flight yesterday from the Western Amateur and landing in San Diego at 10 p.m., 2005 Pacific Coast Amateur champion Alex Prugh of Spokane, Wash., opened with a 2-over-par 74 today.

Click HERE for Round 1 photo gallery.

Cameron Tringale (top) and Adam Hagen share the lead after shooting 5-under-par 67 in the first round of the 41st Pacific Coast Amateur Championship at San Diego Country Club. 

Photos by Robert D. Thomas

Media Contact Information
Bob Thomas
Senior Director of Communications
3740 Cahuenga Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91604
Phone: 818/209-4635
Email: bthomas@scga.org