Valencia's Nick Delio birdied the 12th hole to go 2 up against Ryan Hallisey of Granite Bay. Delio advanced to the semifinals. Photo by Katie Denbo/SCGA

By Robert D. Thomas

BURBANK, June 20 — Three teenagers and 40-year-old Scott McGihon have advanced to the semifinals of the 97th California Amateur Championship at Lakeside Golf Club in Burbank.

• Matt Hoffenberg of Simi Valley, 18, a sophomore at San Diego State, defeated Northwestern University sophomore Josh Dupont of Poway, 5 & 4.
• 15-year-old Austin Roberts of Carmichael kept his dream of being the tournament’s youngest winner when he knocked out James Erkenbeck of San Diego, 3 & 2.
• Cal State Northridge student Nick Delio, 18, of Valencia eliminated reigning NCGA Amateur champion Ryan Hallisey of Granite Bay, 3 & 2.
• McGihon of Bermuda Dunes, a former three-time SCGA Amateur champion, outlasted UC Irvine student Timothy Cha of Chino Hills, 1 up. McGihon won the last two holes with pars to claim the victory.

In the semifinals, Hoffenberg plays Roberts beginning at 1:00 p.m., while Delio faces McGihon at 1:20 p.m. The 36-hole championship match is scheduled for tomorrow.

HOFFENBERG DEFEATS DUPONT, 5 & 4
In match that was even through seven holes, DuPont bogied the seventh and eighth holes and Hoffenberg won the match by birdieing three of his final four holes.

“I started a little sloppy on the front nine,” admitted Hoffenberg after his win, “ but I focused better on the back nine and took it to another level. In my other matches,” he noted, “I had big early leads and let my opponent off the hook. I wanted to make sure that didn’t happen this time.”

ROBERTS DEFEATS ERKENBECK, 3 & 2
Roberts and Erkenbeck were all square through nine holes but Roberts made birdie 3 on the 10th hole, won the 12th with a par 4 after Erkenbeck his tee ball out of bounds, and made birdie 3 on the 13th hole to put him 3 up. “He made a few mistakes on the back nine,” said Roberts. In addition to the OB shot, Erkenbeck missed putts on Nos. 15 and 16 that would have won holes and tightened the match.

DELIO DEFEATS HALLISEY, 3 & 2
“My iron play and chipping have been very solid this week,” said Delio after the win, “but it differs day to day. I was feeling pretty confident, I just needed to get out of my own way and play my game.”

Hallisey had taken a 2-up lead with a par 3 on the ninth hole but gave it back “We both parred 13,” said Delio later, “and on 14 I hit it to about 15 feet. I felt like I needed to make par from then on at that point.”

McGIHON DEFEATS CHA, 1 UP
In a battle of golfers with UC Irvine ties, McGihon edged current Anteater Cha when Cha rimmed out a five-foot par putt on the 18th hole. This marks McGihon’s second trip to the semifinals; he lost to eventual champion Darryl Donovan, 2 & 1, in 2001.

For complete, hole-by-hole scores, click HERE.