Round 1 & 2 Pairings

June 18, 2007

PEBBLE BEACH - Blake Trimble took a commanding four-stroke lead after the first round of California State Amateur stroke-play qualifying. Trimble, who is transferring from UNLV to the University of San Diego this fall, fired a five-under-par 67 on the 6,762-yard Monterey Peninsula Country Club Dunes Course. The score was highlighted by a birdie-eagle finish and was by far the best round of the day. The Rancho Santa Fe resident and Torrey Pines High School alum's 67 was all the more impressive because it was produced when most scores in the afternoon soared due to high winds that came from an unusual direction, wreaking havoc with club selection.

In a vivid demonstration of the democracy of tournament play, a chef stands alone in second place. Jose Sanchez, the 43-year-old executive chef at Monterey Peninsula CC, fired a one-under 71 on the 6,886-yard Shore Course (the host course for match play), the best score on that track by three shots.

MPCC Executive Chef Jose Sanchez stands in second place.

The self-taught golfer didn't pick up the game until immigrating to the United States from Mexico and taking a beginning golf class at Foothill Junior College. "It was kind of an up-and-down day," Sanchez said regarding his six-birdie, three-bogey and one-double bogey round. "I did what I had to do to survive. Knowing the greens helped a lot."

Four players, all of whom played the Dunes Course, are tied for third after even-par 72s, including 2005 NCGA Amateur champion and UNLV sophomore Eddie Olson, Gary Havro of Rancho Cucamonga, former Fresno State All-American Brady Myers of Colusa and recent Cal-State Bakersfield graduate Cody Slover of Visalia.

Defending champion Jordan Nasser is six strokes back of the lead, after a one-over 73 on the Dunes Course. Other former champions in the mix include Casey Boyns (1989 and 1993), whose 74 on the Shore Course in the afternoon stood out from other high scores posted and Don DuBois (2005) and Ed Cuff (1998), both of whom fired a 76.

In the North-South team competition (the Roger Lapham Challenge Cup), where the best five of six scores of selected players count toward the team total, the defending champion South leads by five strokes (374-379).
 

First Round Results
* North/South Team Members