Scott McGihon of Bermuda Dunes is one of two medalists advancing to the quarterfinals of the California Amateur. Photo: Katie Denbo/SCGA

By Robert D. Thomas

BURBANK, June 19 — On a day when the defending champion was knocked out, eight golfers — five of them teenagers — moved into the quarterfinals of the 97th California Amateur Championship today at Lakeside Golf Club.

Six of the eight are from Southern California and the only reason why the average quarterfinalist age is as high as 21 is that 40-year-old Scott McGihon of Bermuda Dunes is still in the mix.

Quarterfinals are scheduled for Friday morning and the semifinals are will follow in the afternoon. The 36-hole championship match will be played Saturday. Live scoring is at www.californiaamateur.org.

The biggest upset came when 18-year-old James Erkenbeck of San Diego ousted defending champion Josh Anderson of Murrieta, 2 & 1. Erkenbeck, who will attend University of New Mexico in the fall, will face 15-year-old Austin Roberts of Carmichael, who defeated Kevin Fryer of San Ramon, 2 up. Roberts could become the youngest winner ever if he can win three more matches.

Two of the three medalists are still alive (only 10 medalists in 96 years have gone on to win the championship).

McGihon, 40, eliminated 2006 California Amateur champion Jordan Nasser of Anaheim Hills, 3 & 1. McGihon, a former three-time Southern California Golf Association (SCGA) Amateur champion who attended UC Irvine, will meet a current Anteater, 21-year-old Tim Cha of Chino Hills, who ousted his college teammate, Bryan Harris of Newport Beach, 3 & 2.

Another of the medalists, 18-year-old Matt Hoffenberg of Simi Valley, edged Matt Marshall of Saratoga, 1 up, and will face Northwestern sophomore Josh Dupont of Poway, who knocked out 36-old Steve Woods of Cupertino.

In the final quarterfinal match, UC Nevada junior Ryan Hallisey of Granite Bay will meet Cal State Northridge student Nick Delio of Valencia. Hallisey hung on to edge the third medalist, Alex Kim of Fullerton, 1 up, while the 18-year-old Delio sent 55-year-old Jeff Burda of Modesto home by winning, 5 & 4.

ERKENBECK DEFEATS ANDERSON, 2 & 1

Erkenbeck, who will attend University of New Mexico this fall, had lost a first-round match last year despite being 3 up with five holes to play, so even when he was 5 up after nine holes today he was worried.

When the 19-year-old Anderson (after losing his tee ball) won the 12th hole by chipping in for par to shave the margin to 3 down, Erkenbeck really began to sweat. “I felt like it was all even at that point,” admitted Erkenbeck later. “I just kept trying to play one shot at a time and hang in there.” Although Anderson won another hole, he could not get any closer. He was bidding to become the first person since 1954-55 to successfully defend his title.

DUPONT DEFEATS WOODS, 3 & 2

Dupont, 19, never trailed after making birdie 4 on the second hole and went on to oust the 36-year-old Woods, who was the last player to win both medalist honors and the championship in 1994.

“I played pretty well today,” said Dupont. “I made a lot of putts, which is the key around here. These greens are so small that you’re going to miss some of them, so you have to be able to get up and down. Plus, they’re getting faster each day and the flagsticks were tough today.”

The turning point, said Dupont, was the 442-yard eighth hole, when Woods drained a 30-footer for birdie only to see Dupont follow that by making a similar-length birdie putt. Although Woods won the ninth hole to cut the margin to 2 up, Dupont regained the momentum with a birdie 3 on the 10th hole and Woods ended up bogeying two holes down the stretch.

HOFFENBERG DEFEATS MARSHALL, 1 UP

Hoffenberg, a San Diego State sophomore and the only left-hander remaining in the field, was 4 up through 14 only to see Marshall rally back by winning three consecutive holes, two of them with birdies. “I played well on the front nine,” said Hoffenberg later, “but on the back nine I made some dumb moves, which I don’t usually do, and let him back in the match.” Marshall could have sent the match to overtime but both players made bogey 5 on the last hole.

McGIHON DEFEATS NASSER, 3 & 1

McGihon who coaches boys golf and girls volleyball in La Quinta, wasn’t as comfortable as he has been all week. “Today was more of a struggle, more never-wracking, by far,” said McGihon. “When I missed a short putt on No. 7, things just seem to be tough from then on. But I’m hitting my irons very crisply this week and I made a 17-foot birdie putt to close out the match.”

This is McGihon’s fourth visit to the quarterfinals; he made the semifinals in 2001 when he lost to the eventual champion, Darryl Donovan, 2 & 1.

CHA DEFEATS HARRIS, 3 & 2

Cha played the flashiest golf of the round by making seven birdies, including a conceded 3 on the 16th hole that closed out the match. “I hit a lot of fairways and greens today,” said Cha later, “and my putter was really hot today.” The final nail in the coffin came on the 160-yard 15th hole, which Cha won with a two-putt par and Harris missed a nine-foot par putt.

DELIO DEFEATS BURDA, 5 & 4

Delio, who got into the field as an alternate, has a “home course” advantage because, as he puts it, “my team has the privilege of playing Lakeside every Wednesday. So I know this course really well and that’s been a big help this week.” Delio was solid today. “The greens are really putting true this week,” said Delio. “If you pick the correct line and roll it down that line, you’ll make most of the putts. Today,I made two birdies and 12 pars, stuck to my game plan and finally wore him down.

ROBERTS DEFEATS FRYER, 2 UP

Roberts, a Sacramento Waldorf HS student, had to hold on to defeat Fryer but he’s playing with the house’s money, so to speak. “I came into the week wanting to make the cut,” he said later. “I love match play; my mindset now is just to beat the golf course.”

HALLISEY DEFEATS KIM, 1 UP

In one of just three matches in the first two rounds that reached the final hole, Hallisey, the reigning NCGA Amateur champion, prevailed when Kim missed a 14-foot birdie putt on the final hole.

View complete hole-by hole scoring HERE.

View the round of 16 photo gallery HERE.