National mid-amateur field set to compete on acclaimed Fazio-Tatum designed landscape.
CARMEL, Calif. (Oct. 18, 2010)-The field is officially set for the 2010 Stocker Cup, which will be played October 21-24 at The Preserve Golf Club in Carmel. Once again, the Stocker Cup boasts a strong field that includes multiple state champions and USGA participants from across the U.S. as well as Japan and Canada. Players to watch include:
• Kevin Marsh (Henderson, Nevada) – Defending Champion of the Stocker Cup. Marsh’s victory in 2010 came in dramatic fashion, as he overcame a 4-shot deficit to Greg Kennedy of Georgia with birdies on four of the final six holes for a final round of 67. The Pepperdine alum won the Southern California G.A. Amateur in 2006 and 2008 and the Carlton Woods Invitational in Texas in both 2009 and 2010. He competed in the 2006 Masters as a result of his 2005 U.S. Mid-Amateur victory. Marsh advanced as far as the semi-finals at both the California State Amateur and the Crump Cup Invitational in 2010, and advanced to the round-of-32 at the U.S. Mid Amateur.
• Mike McCoy (West Des Moines, Iowa) – McCoy works hard on his game all year, and the results speak for themselves. After climbing as high as No. 5 in the Golfweek/amateurgolf.com Men’s World Rankings in 2009, he continues to play well this year. McCoy finished 5th at the Coleman Invitational, before qualifying for the U.S. Amateur, where he lost to eventual finalist, David Chung, 3 & 2. In September, McCoy’s match play fortunes were better as he had his name engraved on the prestigious Crump Cup Invitational at Pine Valley for an incredible fourth time.
• Randy Haag (Burlingame, Calif.) Haag, a two-time Stocker Cup Champion, had one of his most memorable golf experiences this past summer at the British Senior Open at Carnoustie where he finished as low amateur and very well up the leaderboard at T41. After the awards ceremony he had his photo taken with champion Bernhard Langer on the 18th green. Before competing in the 2010 British Senior Open, Haag advanced to the quarterfinals at the California State Amateur, was medalist at his USGA Amateur qualifying location, made the quarterfinals of the Crump Cup, and won the Santa Clara County Amateur. The Olympic Club member finished in 2nd place at the 2009 Stocker Cup.
• Craig Doell (Victoria, B.C., Canada) Won the Stocker Cup in 2004 and 2007, and finished 5th in 2009. That’s two out of three for the multiple-year Canadian Team member. Doell represented his country at the World Amateur Team Championship in 2004, and won the Peru Amateur as an individual in 2002.
• Harry Rudolph, (La Jolla, Calif.) – A former collegiate standout at Arizona who competed with Phil Mickelson in San Diego junior tournaments (winning many) and at the college level, where he played on Arizona’s 1992 NCAA Champion team. After a stint as a professional, followed by a long layoff from the game, Rudolph regained his amateur status in 2009. His 2010 campaign demonstrates how much game he has: A victory at the Kelly Cup; Runner-Up at the California State Amateur; Qualifying as medalist and advancing to match play at the U.S. Amateur; finishing T13 at the USGA State Team; and a finishing T6 at the Porter Cup, one of the most prestigious events on the summer amateur circuit.
• Joe Sanders (Incline Village, Nevada) Sanders, who won the Stocker Cup in 2008, is a four time Northern Nevada G.A. Player-of-the-Year and 2009 Nevada State Amateur and Kelly Cup Champion. He won the Northern Nevada Amateur and was runner up in the Mid-Am earlier this season.
With so many talented amateurs in the field, it is difficult to identify favorites. To view a list of all competitors including photos and historical playing resumes, visit http://www.stockercup.com/contestants.htm. Amateurgolf.com will be on site throughout the tournament, providing daily coverage; be sure to check back in with us to keep up with the action. Photos or additional player information are available on request.
About The Stocker Cup
The Stocker Cup, played in memory of Peter Stocker, is held each October at The Preserve Golf Club in Carmel. The championship field is comprised of 45 mid-amateur invitees, plus an additional 5 players who earn their entries via a qualifying round held prior to the event. Those final A-list golfers are complimented by a matching number of qualified B-list competitors, with invitations extended to friends, relatives and associates of the late Peter Stocker, as well as to various sponsors and other supporters of the event. In each round an A-player is teamed with a B-player in a net best-ball competition held simultaneously with the individual stroke-championship. The Stocker Cup is a Golfweek/amateurgolf.com Men’s World Rankings event. (Visit http://www.golfweek.com/amateur/rankings to view the complete list.)
About Peter Stocker
Peter C. Stocker was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and educated at Denison University and the University of Denver. Peter and his wife Cathy came to San Francisco in the early 1970’s. He exhibited entrepreneurial skills early in his career as he developed the internationally recognized “ParCourse” exercise and jogging trails. In 1974, Peter and his partners Bill Harlan and John Montgomery founded the Pacific Union Company of San Francisco, a highly successful real estate development firm. Pacific Union developed Meadowood Resort and Merryvale Vineyards in the Napa Valley, Opera Plaza in San Francisco’s Civic Center and began the development of what was then known as Rancho San Carlos (and is now called The Preserve) a 20,000-acre private ranch near Carmel Valley.
In the mid-1980’s, Peter received national acclaim for his attempt to build a new downtown baseball stadium for the Giants, which ultimately came to fruition in 1998. He was also the developer of the highly touted Chardonnay Golf Club in the Napa Valley. His visionary talent and inspirational leadership were truly unique.
Peter died in a tragic helicopter accident at Rancho San Carlos in 1990. The Stocker Cup Invitational was established in his memory the following year.
Contact:
Pete Wlodkowski
Phone: 760-929-9297
petewl@amateurgolf.com
