Kevin Marsh seeks three-peat as tournament celebrates its 20th playing
CARMEL, Calif. (Oct. 12, 2011)-The field is officially set for the 2011 Stocker Cup, which will be played October 27-30 at The Preserve Golf Club in Carmel. For its 20th Anniversary, the Stocker Cup has, perhaps, its strongest-ever field that includes multiple state champions and USGA participants plus two players who have been invited to The Masters. Players to watch include.
Kevin Marsh (Henderson, Nevada) – Two-time defending champion of the Stocker Cup. The Preserve Golf Club obviously fits the 2005 USGA Mid-Am champ’s eye, and he has shown an ability to stay solid down the stretch in both of his two Stocker Cup victories. Marsh won the 2010 event by a single shot after starting the day four behind on the strength of Sunday’s low round of 2-under 70 in cold, wet conditions.
Mike McCaffrey (League City, Texas) – Easily the hottest player in the field, McCaffrey re-gained his amateur status in March after a pro career he says was “unfulfilling, because I never got my PGA Tour card.” The two-time All-American at the University of North Texas, now age 41, quickly became the top-ranked Mid-Amateur in Texas in 2011 and 6th ranked player overall after a 3rd place finish at the Texas State Amateur, medalist/quarterfinalist at the 2011 USGA Mid-Amateur, winning the Texas Mid-Am shortly after, and then picking up an early October win at the Harvey Penick Invitational in Austin. McCaffrey’s long, accurate driving and solid putting stroke should bode well for him at the Preserve.
Other Notables:
Randy Haag (San Francisco, California) – Two-time Stocker Cup winner Haag, 52, continues to dominate Northern California golf, winning an unprecedented 6th NCGA Player-of-the-Year title in 2011 and qualifying for three USGA events. He also finished low amateur for the second straight year in he British Senior Open, earning him another exemption into the 2012 field. Last week he won the Olympic Club Championship.
Gene Elliot (West Des Moines, Iowa) – Elliott had a strong season in 2011 on both the national and state level, and was crowned Iowa Player-of-the-Year. He recently advanced to the quarterfinals at the Crump Cup at Pine Valley, in the early summer finished T34 in a star-studded field of college players at the Northeast Amateur.
With so many talented amateurs in the field, it is difficult to identify favorites. To view a list of all competitors including photos and playing resumes, visit:
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.
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 field is comprised of 56 world-class mid-amateur invitees, who meet stringent eligibility requirements, and pay a minimal fee for their participation.
The 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. Every A-player is teamed with a B-player in a handicapped best-ball competition held simultaneously with the individual stroke-championship.
The Stocker Cup Invitational is a Golfweek/amateurgolf.com World Rankings points event. To provide an opportunity for top local amateurs to join the invited field of accomplished A players, the Stocker Cup also holds a one-day Open Qualifier. On October 4, 32 competitors vied for the final four A-list spots at the challenging Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz, CA. Dennis Dachtler of Folsom, Calif. was Medalist at 73. He is joined by Steve Argo (75); Ben Hunter of Davis (76) and Tom McKee of Carlsbad (76).
Contact:
Pete Wlodkowski
Phone: 760-929-9297
petewl@amateurgolf.com
