Defending champion Scott Almquist and Southern California’s finest amateurs will be competing for the 29th SCGA Mid-Amateur Championship at Rancho Santa Fe GC this coming Monday and Tuesday. Almquist (pictured), a six-time club champion at Coto de Caza Golf and Racquet Club, will be competing at one of southern California’s finest clubs, and a course where he was the stroke play medalist at the 2010 California Amateur Championship.
This year’s champion will earn an exemption into the 101st California Amateur Championship at La Cumbre CC on June 25-30. The top-5 finishers will earn exemptions into the 113th SCGA Amateur Championship at Big Canyon CC on July 20-22.
The Mid-Amatuer field includes seven past Champions, including Tim Hogarth (1999, 2007, 2009, 2010), Robert Funk (2006), John McClure (2005), Scott McGihon (2002), Craig Steinberg (1996 and 2001) and Pat Duncan (1998).
Duncan, who will have local course knowledge and experience on his side as a 19-time Rancho Santa Fe GC champion (including 17 in a row!), is in a featured pairing alongside Almquist and 4-time SCGA Amateur Champion Soctt McGihon. McGihon won the 2000 SCGA Amateur Championship held at this same club.
All Round 1 and 2 pairings can be found HERE.
Featured pairing groups:
Tee 1 – 8:15 am / Tee 10 – 1:30 pm
Mark Miller (2011 and 2012 SCGA Foursomes Champion)
Tony Behrstock (2011 U.S. Mid-Amateur Quarterfinalist)
Howie Knodt (2008 and 2009 SCGA Senior Player of the Year)
Tee 1 – 8: 24am / Tee 10 – 1:39 pm
Nick Ushijima (2007 Japan Mid-Amateur Champion, 2002 San Francisco City Champion)
Robert Funk (2006 SCGA Mid-Amateur Champion)
Tim Hogarth (4-time SCGA Mid-Amateur Champion, 1996 U.S. Amateur Public Links Champion
Tee 1 – 8:33 / Tee 10 – 1:48 pm
Scott McGihon (4-time SCGA Amateur Champion, 2002 SCGA Mid-Amateur Champion)
Scott Almquist (Defending SCGA Mid-Amateur Champion)
Pat Duncan (1998 SCGA Mid-Amateur Champion, 1990 SCGA Amateur Champion)
Tee 1 – 8:42 / Tee 10 – 1:57 pm
Ed Cuff Jr. (1998 California Amateur Champion)
John McClure (2005 SCGA Mid-Amateur Champion)
Bill Brammer (Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club Senior Club Champion)
Tee 1 – 8:51 / Tee 10 – 2:06 pm
Dan Sullivan (2011 and 2012 SCGA Foursomes Champion)
Craig Steinberg (4-time SCGA Amateur Champion, 1996 & 2001 SCGA Mid-Amateur Champion)
Jordan Nasser (2006 California Amateur Champion)
The Course:
Founded in 1927, Rancho Santa Fe GC has a distinguished history that includes serving as the original host for the first six Bing Crosby Pro-am Tournaments (from which the original pairing sheets still hang in the entrance to the locker rooms) and host for the 1954 San Diego Open Championship. More recently, Rancho Santa Fe was the site of the 2006 United States Junior Amateur Championship and the 2010 California Amateur Championship.
Golfing greats from every era have competed at Rancho Santa Fe, including local resident and three-time Masters Champion, Phil Mickelson. From the towering 90-year old eucalyptus trees framing the picturesque fairways to the circa 1930’s sepia toned photographs lining the walls in the clubhouse, Ranch Santa Fe retains that undeniable “feel” of history.
