CONTACT: Bob Thomas (604) 688-7711, Room 2601 (eves); (604) 922-9331 (days)
Internet: http://www.pacificcoastamateur.com/
E-mail: BobTatFORE@aol.com
LEPP
SETS TOURNAMENT RECORD, BECOMES FIRST CANADIAN TO WIN PACIFIC COAST AMATEUR
West Vancouver, British Columbia, August 8 -- James Lepp of Abbotsford, B.C. completed a record-smashing week by winning the 37th Pacific Coast Amateur Championship by 10 shots at Capilano Golf & Country Club, becoming the first person from outside the United States to win the prestigious championship.
Lepp’s four-round total of 68-62-66-67 -- 263 shattered the tournament record of 270 set by Billy Mayfair in the 1988 tournament at Bear Creek GC in Denver, CO. His second-round 62 broke the Capilano course record by two shots.
Lepp’s
total is also a record for any tournament at Capilano, which in nearly 70 years
has hosted such prestigious events as the World Amateur Team Championship in
1992. It came on a day when Brock
Mackenzie of Yakima, WA, and Ryan Moore of Puyallup, WA, learned that they had
been named to the U.S. Walker Cup squad.
Roy Moon of North Hills, the reigning Southern California Amateur champion, matched Lepp’s 3-under-par 67 in the final round and finished a distant second at 273, 7 under par. Craig Doell of Victoria, B.C., the only mid-amateur to crack the top 10, fired an even-par 70 and finished in third at 274.
Since Lepp began the day with a six-shot lead, about the only suspense occurred when he pulled his tee shot well left of the first fairway and hit a provisional in case the ball might be lost or out of bounds. It wasn’t, he recovered to make par and was never in trouble from that point on.
He had three birdies on the front nine and birdied the par-5 finishing hole, moments after making his only bogey of the day on the par-four 17th.
“I was swinging pretty well today and I didn’t have to save too many shots,” said Lepp following his round. “My short game was the key today and I putted better than at any time in the tournament.
“I made every six-footer I looked at today,” he continued. “I was hitting my drive crappy but I was able to get the ball in the hole, which is the name of the game.”
The win was Lepp’s third major championship in three weeks, beginning with his second consecutive BC Amateur and continuing last week with a six-shot win in the Canadian Tour’s Greater Vancouver Classic. He is 48 under par for the three tournaments and will tee it up Tuesday in the Canadian Amateur Championship at Shaughnessy CC in nearby Vancouver.
“It’s too bad the Canadian Amateur isn’t a stroke play event,” said Lepp with a smile. “Match play is a very different animal.” Perhaps. But don’t bet against the hottest player on the planet, professional or amateur, right now.
RESULTS:
37th
Pacific Coast Amateur Championship
at Capilano Golf & Country Club; West Vancouver, British Columbia
6,618 yards; par 70
FINAL 72-hole
results:
263 -- James Lepp, Abbotsford, BC, 68-62-66. Tournament record; old record 270 by Billy Mayfair in 1988 at Bear Creek GC; Denver, CO.
273 -- Roy Moon, North Hills, CA, 71-66-69-67.
274 -- Craig Doell, Victoria, BC, 69-67-68-70.
275
-- Chris Botsford, Pasadena, CA, 70-68-66-71; Michael Putnam, Tacoma, WA,
69-69-64-73.
276 -- David Oh, Cerritos, CA, 73-65-69-69.
279 -- J.J. Jakovac, Napa, CA, 68-69-75-67; Peter Tomasulo, Long Beach, CA, 70-69-71; Luke Swilor, Sandy, UT, 70-69-70-70; Michael Wilson, Pacific Grove, CA, 72-67-70-70.
280 -- Dan Swanson, Surrey, BC, 68-71-73-68; Lindsay Bernakevitch, Vancouver, 70-71-67-72
281 -- Mike Mezei, Lethbridge, ALB, 73-69-74-65; Brock MacKenzie, Yakima, WA, 69-70-74-68; 211 -- Spencer Levin, Elk Grove, CA, 71-75-65-70; Marc Rhoades, McCall, ID, 70-71-68-72.
282 -- Chris MacDougall, Vancouver, BC, 72-70-73-67; Travis Johnson, Bellflower, CA, 70-69-75-68; Lee Curry, Kemptville, ONT, 72-66-74-70; Brien Davis, Las Vegas, NV, 75-70-67-70; Dan Potter, Hayden Lake, ID, 73-71-66-72.
283 -- Parker McLachlin, Honolulu, HI, 70-69-73-71; Pete Stone, Bountiful, UT, 71-74-66-72; Jim Strickland, Scottsdale, AZ, 68-73-72-70.
284 -- Alex Prugh, Spokane, WA, 69-71-72-72; Ben Hayes, Paradise Valley, AZ, 69-70-72-73.
285 -- Chris Baryla, El Paso, TX, 68-74-73-70; Jeff Wilson, Fairfield, CA, 70-71-74-70.
286 -- John Merrick, Long Beach, CA, 68-69-76-73; Brady Exber, Las Vegas, NV, 68-70-75-73; John Ellis, San Jose, CA, 74-68-70-74; Mike Sica, La Quinta, CA, 71-67-70-78.
287 -- Brian Hughes, Portland, OR, 69-76-74-68; Julien Trudeau, Montreal, QB, 70-71-74-72; Reid Hatley, Spokane, WA, 71-73-70-73; Ian Hagen, Reno, NV, 70-69-75-73.
288 -- Ryan Moore, Puyallup, WA, 73-78-68-68; Erik Hanson, Kirkland, WA, 70-74-74-70; Kane Webber, Boulder, CO, 75-74-68-71; Alex Stamey, Mill Creek, WA, 72-71-71-74.
289 -- George Zahringer, New York, NY, 74-69-78-68; Zack Miller, San Rafael, CA, 72-70-75-72.
291 -- Ryan Fery, Beaverton, OR, 73-70-77-71; Ashdon Woods, Lander, WY, 73-72-74-72; Ryan Vallely, Medicine Hat, ALB, 70-76-73-72; Frank Van Dornick, Camrose, ALB, 71-74-73-73; John Pate, Santa Barbara, CA, 73-75-68-75; Rusty Kennedy, Phoenix, AZ, 68-70-76-77; Brady Stockton, San Ramon, CA, 75-72-68-76.
292 -- Jason Monteleone, Vancouver, BC, 71-74-75-72; Andrew Lovas, White Rock, BC, 73-73-71-75; Seann Harlingten, Rancho Mirage, CA, 73-71-73-75.
293 -- Rick DeWitt, Arvada, CO, 77-72-75-69; J.C. Deacon, Unionville, ONT, 67-79-74-73; Charlie Beljan, Mesa, AZ, 71-75-72-75.
294 -- Corey Prugh, Spokane, WA, 73-73-75-73.
295 -- Shih-Kai Lo, Taipei, ROC, 74-77-71-73; Iain MacDonald, Fullerton, CA, 76-77-69-73; Patrick Hanlon, Las Cruces, NM, 74-75-72-75; Elliott Wainwright, Hillsborough, CA, 66-76-76-77.
296 -- Nico Bollini, Yorba Linda, 73-75-74-74; Chris Maletis, Portland, OR, 72-73-74-77.
297 -- Chen-Chih Chiang, Taipei, ROC, 75-69-76-77; James Love, Calgary, ALB, 69-78-73-77.
298 -- Greg Puga, Los Angeles, CA, 73-71-74-80.
299 -- Shawn Wills, Broomfield, CO, 74-79-72-74; Derek Tolan, Highlands Ranch, CO, 72-74-74-79.
300 -- Steve Sheehan, Reno, NV, 74-73-76-77.
301 -- Aaron Curtis, Twin Falls, ID, 76-75-79-71; David Nelson, Reno, NV, 80-74-7-76.
302 -- Jay Poletiek, Portland, OR, 73-77-81-71; Matthew Ion Young, Burlington, ONT, 74-79-78-71.
303 -- Cullen Brasfield, Reno, NV, 77-73-72-81.
304 -- Erik Nielsen, Tucson, AZ, 77-73-81-73; Kurt Kowaluk, Liveley, ONT, 73-77-76-78; Tung-Hung Hsieh, Taipei, ROC, 73-75-78-78; Tyler Symons, Albuquerque, NM, 78-72-75-79.
305 -- Brad Mombert, Bend, OR, 77-79-69-80.
306 -- Travis Whisman, Reno, NV, 79-76-74-77.
307 -- Jake Grodzinsky, Cornville, AZ, 79-74-78-76.
309 -- Carl Jensen, Salt Lake City, UT, 77-79-83-70.
310 -- Anton Salome, Socorro, NM, 77-82-78-73; Gregg Lavoie, Pasco, WA, 72-78-81-79.
311 -- Dale Goehring, Calgary, ALB, 76-75-85-75.
312 -- Craig Reasoner, Casper, WY, 75-84-75-78.
314 -- Niel King, Gillette, WY, 76-86-73-79.
321 -- Dana Wade, Las Vegas, NV, 85-79-78-79.
DQ -- Everett Grimes, II, Nampa, ID, 73-74-DQ (Rule 6-6d/signed for an incorrect score).
WD -- Mark Thaxton, Tigard, OR, 76-WD; Scott McGihon, Bermuda Dunes, CA, 76-WD.
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