First Round - Pacific Coast Amateur Championship

Mina, a 20-year-old rising junior at the University of California at Berkeley, had seven birdies, two bogies and an eagle 2 on the par-four 12th hole, while the 22-year-old Sucher, who just finished his eligibility at UAB and was playing with just 13 clubs in his bag, had five birdies and an eagle.

Both playeers are two shots in front of Brady Johnson of Mill Bay, BC and Chan Kim of Chandler, Ariz. Another shot back, after 68s today, were Philip Francis of Scottsdale, Ariz. and Tarquin MacManus of Cairns, Australia, one of two Aussies in the field.

In the annual Morse Cup team competition, held in conjunction with the first two rounds of the Championship, British Columbia Golf Association rode Johnson’s 67 and a 3-under-par 69 from Eugene Wong of North Vancouver, for a first-round total of 136, which is good for a two-shot lead over the Arizona GA. BC Amateur champion Lindsay Renolds of Christina Lake shot 72. Defending champion Washington State GA is one five teams that are another shot back at 141.

Mina had good feelings heading into the round. “After I played my practice round Monday,” he said after today’s round, “I really felt like the course fit my eye.” He wasn’t so sure after a three-putt par on the par-5 first hole but beginning with a birdie 4 on the par-5 fifth hole he heated up. “That started me on the right track,” said Mina. “I played conservatively, going for the center of the greens, and this was one of the best putting days I’ve every had in my career.”

Sucher left his lob wedge at his hotel room and elected to play with nothing steeper than a gap wedge. “As it turned out,” said Sucher after his round, “I didn’t need it; I may leave it at home the rest of the week.”

Like Mina, Sucher was ready for a great score after his practice round. “The course has extremely wide fairways so if you’re hitting it good, you can go really low,” said Sucher. “My goal beginning today was to not make any big, silly mistakes and that’s what I did. I love it when I have a round with no bogies. “ His only long putts were a 20-footer and 10-footer for birdie and a 30-footer for eagle (on the 588-yard first hole, his 10th of the day)


43rd Pacific Coast Amateur Championship

The Gallery Golf Club (South Course); Tucson, Ariz.
 7,402 yard, par 72

First Round

65 -- Eric Mina, Fremont, Calif.; Zack Sucher, Mobile, Ala.

67 -- Brady Johnson, Mill Bay, BC; Chan Kim, Chandler, Ariz.

68 -- Philip Francis, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Tarquin MacManus, Cairns, Australia.

69 -- Joel Dahmen, Clarkston, Wash.; Daniel Harrington, Chandler, Ariz.; Eugene Wong, North Vancouver, BC; Daniel Sullivan, Pasadena, Calif.; Jesse Hibler, Boise, Idaho; Sam Smith, Turlock, Calif.; Darren Wallace, Langley, BC; Travis Woolf, Forth Worth, Texas.

70 -- Scott Lewis, Henderson, Nev.; Dan Horner, Sandy, Utah; Michael Wog, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Richard Lee, Bellevue, Wash.; Stuart Gold, West Haven, Utah; Mitch Evanecz, Red Deer, AB; Ryan McCarthy, Burne, Australia; Derek Berg, Kenmore, Wash.; Andrew Yun, Chandler, Ariz.

71 -- Brett Kanda, Las Vegas, Nev.; George Gandranata, Emeryville, Calif.; Kevin Dougherty, Murrieta, Calif.; Jarin Todd, Woodinville, Wash.; Andrew Barton, Sandy, Utah; Brady Exber, Las Vegas, Nev.; Gabe Maier, Cody, Wyo.; Tim Madigan, Rio Rancho, N.M.; Rod Butler, Carson City, Nev.; Connor Driscoll, Encinitas, Calif.

 72 -- Jin Song, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Nick Delio, Valencia, Calif.; Matt Hoffenberg, San Diego, Calif.; Richard McIntosh, Las Vegas, Nev.; Lindsay Renolds, Christina Lake, BC; Robbie Fillmore, Provo, Utah; Todd Griffin, Casper, Wyo.; Eric Peterson, Nampa, Idaho; Cameron Peck, Olympia, Wash.; Ryan Hallisey, Granite Bay, Calif.; Mark Anderson, Beaufort, S.C.; Andrew Vijarro, Bend, Ore.; Robbie Ziegler, Canby, Ore.; Jonathan Khan, Tucson, Ariz.; Steven Kearney, Carlsbad, Calif.

73 -- Mark Johnson, Tulsa, Okla.; Chris Kessler, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Riley Wheeldon, Courtenay, BC; TJ Bordeaux, Tacoma, Wash.; Braxton Marquez, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Steve Irwin, Golden, Colo.; Scott Lowe, Calgary, AB; Alex Shi Yup Kim, Fullerton, Calif.

74 -- Tim McKenney, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Martin Trainer, Palo Alto, Calif.; Michael Jensen, Los Altos, Calif.

75 -- Neal McCarty, Sierrea Vista, Ariz.; Dan Whitaker, Cle Elum, Wash.; Robert Valerio, Hawthorne, Calif.; Nick Geyer, Albuquerque, N.M.; Luke Symons, Aurora, Colo.; Austin Hurt, Bainbridge Island, Wash.

76 -- Cyrus Whitney, Oro Valley, Ariz.; Paul Peterson, Corvallis, Ore.; Bob Wheeler, Eagle, Idaho; Klinton Krieger, Cheyenne, Wyo.; Andrew Putnam, University Place, Wash.; Chris Polski, Eugene, Ore.; Michael Karlberg, Truckee, Calif.

77 -- Joe Sanders, Incline Village, Nev.

78 -- Joe Sawaia, Henderson, Nev.; Brandon Putnam, Albuquerque, N.M.; Tom Gempel, Parker, Colo.; Daniel Miernicki, Santee, Calif.; Scott Stiles, Calgary, AB.

79 -- Jim Dunlap, Tigard, Ore.

80 -- Dean Menante, Reno, Nev.; Kevin Bredy, Calgary, AB.

81 -- Geoff Gonzalez, Diablo, Calif.

84 -- Ed Susolik, Newport Beach, Calif.

DQ -- David Lipsky, La Cañada, Calif.

Morse Cup Team Competition
 (best two of three scores each day count for team total)

First Round

136 -- British Columbia GA, 70-66 -- 136
 Brady Johnson, 34-33 -- 67; Eugene Wong, 36-33 -- 69; Lindsay Renolds, 36-36—72.

140 -- Arizona GA, 69-71 -- 140
 Philip Francis, 33-35 -- 68; Jin Song, 36-36 -- 72; Braxton Marquez, 35-38—73.

141 -- Idaho GA, 69-72 -- 141
 Jesse Hibler, 34-35 -- 69; Eric Peterson, 35-37 -- 72; Bob Wheeler, 38-38—76;
 141 -- Northern California GA, 71-70 -- 141
 Sam Smith, 34-35 -- 69; Ryan Hallisey, 37-35 -- 72; Geoff Gonzalez, 38-43—81.
 141 -- Pacific Northwest GA, 74-67 -- 141
 Darren Wallace, 36-33 -- 69; Cameron Peck, 38-34 -- 72; Andrew Putnam, 40-36—76.
 141 -- Utah GA, 70-71 -- 141
 Stuart Gold, 34-36 -- 70; Andrew Barton, 36-35 -- 71; Robbie Fillmore, 38-34—72.
 141 -- Washington State GA, 72-69 -- 141
 Richard Lee, 36-34 -- 70; Jarin Todd, 36-35 -- 71; Dan Whitaker, 40-35—75.
143 -- Alberta GA, 72-71 -- 143
 Mitch Evanecz, 36-34 -- 70; Scott Lowe, 36-37 -- 73; Kevin Bredy, 43-37 -- 80
 143 -- Southern California GA, 74-69 -- 143
 Kevin Dougherty, 38-33 -- 71; Nick Delio, 36-36 -- 72; Matt Hoffenberg, 35-37—72.
 143 -- Southern Nevada GA, 72-71 -- 143
 Brady Exber, 37-34 -- 71; Richard McIntosh, 35-37 -- 72; Joe Sawaia, 39-39—78.
 143 -- Wyoming State GA, 72-71 -- 143
 Gabe Maier, 36-35 -- 71; Todd Griffin, 36-36 -- 72; Klinton Krieger, 39-37—76.
144 -- Public Links GA, 69-75 -- 144
 Daniel Sullivan, 33-36 -- 69; Robert Valerio, 36-39 -- 75; Ed Susolik, 42-42—84.
146 -- Sun Country Amateur GA, 74-72 -- 146
 Tim Madigan, 36-35 -- 71; Nick Geyer, 38-37 -- 75; Brandon Putnam, 40-38—78.
148 -- Colorado GA, 77-71 -- 148
 Steve Irwin, 38-35 -- 73; Luke Symons, 39-36 -- 75; Tom Gempel, 39-39—78.
 148 -- Northern Nevada GA, 75-73 -- 148
 Rod Butler, 38-33 -- 71; Joe Sanders, 37-40 -- 77; Dean Menante, 40-40—80.
 148 -- Oregon GA, 75-73 -- 148
 Andrew Vijarro, 37-35 -- 72; Chris Polski, 38-38 -- 76; Jim Dunlap, 40-39—79.

NOTE: TIndividual tournament scorecards may be found at  www.pacificcoastamateur.com