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Tyson Shelley wins 56th Pacific Coast Amateur
Tyson Shelley of Salt Lake City, Utah, shot rounds of 69-69-67-62 and won a two-hole playoff to clinch the 56th Pacific Coast Amateur Championship, hosted this week from July 25-28 at Capilano Golf and Country Club.
Shelley began the day nine shots behind the leader, Jack Buchanan of Australia. Teeing off 40 minutes ahead of the final group, Shelley knew what he had to do to get back in contention, and he absolutely blistered the golf course with a bogey-free 62 in today’s final round, vaulting himself up the leaderboard to finish the championship at 13-under par after four rounds.
Tyson Shelley’s final round 62 tied the competitive course record, set by James Lepp in 2003 while playing in the second round of the 37th Pacific Coast Amateur.
Buchanan, who was still on the golf course after Shelley had completed his round, held a two-shot lead with three holes remaining. However, he stumbled with back-to-back bogies on holes 16 and 17, ultimately finishing tied for the lead and necessitating a playoff.
On the first playoff hole, the par-4 17th, both players reached the green in two and made par with two-putts. Proceeding to the second playoff hole, the par-5 18th, both Shelley and Buchanan found the fairway with an opportunity to reach the green in two.
Buchanan played first, missing the green to the right, which left him facing a very challenging pitch shot from the rough to a green well below his feet. Shelley executed a brilliant 4-iron shot from 230 yards out, hitting the center of the green and leaving himself with a 15-foot putt for an eagle. Unfortunately for Buchanan, he couldn’t recover, and Shelley confidently two-putted for birdie and secured the victory.
“I’m feeling out of this world right now, I don’t really have words to explain how I’m feeling,” said Shelley.
Shelley’s final round 62 tied the competitive course record, set by James Lepp in 2003 while playing in the second round of the 37th Pacific Coast Amateur.
“Honestly, I felt like everything just clicked, my driver was exceptional all week and today it felt like everything was just down the middle the whole time,” said Shelley. “My putts were just dropping today. I felt like I was getting a ton of lip outs the first three days, and today everything was just going in the center of the hole.”
Click here to watch the winning interview with Tyson Shelley.
Shelley is a rising junior on the BYU men’s golf team. Prior to this championship, he played in one Elite Amateur Series event, the Trans-Mississippi Amateur. Currently, he is ranked No. 731 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).
Shelley will add his name to the Ed Updegraff perpetual trophy, joining the likes of current PGA TOUR players Will Zalatoris, Aaron Wise, Andrew Putnam, and many others who went on to have successful professional golf careers.
Incoming BYU freshman Cooper Jones.
In the 36-hole Morse Cup team competition Team Utah, Keanu Akina, Zac and Cooper Jones, finished tied for third place at (-8) 272, just four shots out of first place. Cooper finished tied for 13 place at 6-under par. Akina and Zac Jones were T53 (+8) for the tournament.
For final results, click here.
The Pacific Coast Amateur Championship is one of the oldest and most prestigious amateur golf championships in North America. The first tournament was held on the links of San Francisco Golf Club at The Presidio in 1901. After being played until 1911, the Pacific Coast Amateur then ceased to exist, only to be reconstituted at Seattle Golf Club in 1967. Today, 15 member Pacific Rim golf associations comprise the Pacific Coast Golf Association. More information about the association and the Pacific Coast Amateur can be found at pacificcoastamateur.com.
Story and photos provided by: Vinny Fiorino, PCGA Staff/Media Director