124th Amateur Championship
July 31 - August 3, 2023, Rolling Hills CC
This Championship is open to SCGA members with a Handicap Index of 5.4 or below. Players must qualify or earn an exemption into the championship field.
Started in 1900, the SCGA Amateur Championship is the second longest, continuously contested amateur championship in the country. Since its inception, the SCGA Amateur has enjoyed an illustrious history of great champions, including Tiger Woods and Al Geiberger to more recent stars including Beau Hossler, Patrick Cantlay, and Sahith Theegala.
Fairways, Greens and History
The SCGA Amateur Championship has had 124 iterations and a star studded list of past champions that includes Tiger Woods, Patrick Cantlay, Sahith Theegala and Beau Hossler. But it's never seen a winner like Greyson Leach, who set the all-time scoring (-21) en route to winning by six strokes at Rolling Hills CC. The previous record was held by Rico Hoey (-19) in 2016 at Barona Creek GC.
Leach, who grew up playing at Rolling Hills CC and is a past club champion, did the impossible and made golf look easy over the span of four days at a track he knows very well. Despite being extremely familiar with the property, he still had to execute which, save for three bogeys in his final, he did nearly flawlessly.
Coming into Thursday's final round, Leach held a four-shot lead over his nearest trailer, Krando Nishiba (who shot Rolling Hill CC's course record with a stunning nine-under 63 in round one). By the sixth hole, his already comfortable margin was extended to seven after he carded three early birdies. The lead could have been bigger, but Leach burned the edge with a six-foot eagle putt on the par-five third hole that just missed going in (set up by a 235-yard 4-iron on his second shot).
Where some players might have felt the pressure of sleeping on an overnight lead, teeing-off late, and being on the verge of capturing an illustrious championship, Leach seemed born for the moment. In his final round, the University of Oregon standout hit 14 of 15 fairways, 16 of 18 greens, and only needed 34 putts to get around a golf course that famously features undulated, multitiered, lightning-fast putting surfaces.
“My putting was the best part of my game this week,” Leach said after his final round. “In order to score here at Rolling Hills CC, you need to roll it well. This is best I’ve ever putted in a tournament.”
Over 72 holes, Leach carded 26 birdies and two eagles on his way to a dominating victory that was never in question on Thursday. With a four-round cumulative total of 267, he beat second place by six shots.
“I didn’t check the leaderboard until the 16th hole. The entire time I was just worried about myself and staying in my game.”
Leach received a hero’s welcome at the trophy presentation where members who watched him grow up at the club were on hand to see him make history at his old home course.
“I’m happy to see everyone and I’m glad my family is here to celebrate with me. I can’t wait to get in there and share this with all of them.”
Past Winners
| Year | Winner | Site |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Greyson Leach | Rolling Hills CC |
| 2022 |
Caden Fioroni |
San Diego CC |
| 2021 |
Clay Seeber |
Virginia CC |
| 2020 |
Luke Potter |
Goose Creek GC |
| 2019 |
Sahith Theegala |
Lakeside GC |
| 2018 |
Joe Fryer |
La Jolla CC |
| 2017 |
Sam Choi |
Mission Hills CC |
| 2016 |
Rico Hoey |
Barona Creek GC |
| 2015 |
Nathan Celusta |
Oakmont CC |
| 2014 |
Beau Hossler |
Rancho Santa Fe GC |
| 2013 | Beau Hossler | San Diego CC |
| 2012 |
Bhavik Patel |
Big Canyon CC |
| 2011 | Patrick Cantlay | San Gabriel CC |
| 2010 | Scott Travers | La Cumbre CC |
| 2009 |
Austin Graham |
Wilshire CC |
| 2008 |
Kevin Marsh |
Saticoy CC |
| 2007 |
Brett Kanda |
Victoria Club |
| 2006 | Scott McGihon | Bakersfield CC |
| 2005 |
Scott McGihon |
Tijeras Creek GC |
| 2004 |
Tim Hogarth |
Hillcrest CC |
| 2003 | Roy Moon | Torrey Pines GC |
| 2002 |
Nico Bollini |
El Caballero CC |
| 2001 |
John Merrick |
La Jolla CC |
| 2000 | Scott McGihon | Rancho Santa Fe GC |
| 1999 | John Pate | Industry Hills GC |
| 1998 |
Greg Padilla |
The SCGA GC |
| 1997 |
Craig Steinberg |
Lakeside GC |
| 1996 | Kevin Marsh | Santa Maria CC |
| 1995 |
Charlie Wi |
Santa Ana CC |
| 1994 |
Tiger Woods |
Hacienda GC |
| 1993 |
Todd Demsey |
Brentwood CC |
| 1992 |
Craig Steinberg |
Fairbanks Ranch CC |
| 1991 |
Craig Steinberg |
Bel-Air CC |
| 1990 |
Pat Duncan |
Wilshire CC |
| 1989 |
Paul Stankowski |
Glendora CC |
| 1988 |
Craig Steinberg |
Annandale GC |
| 1987 |
Greg Starkman |
Braemar CC |
| 1986 |
Dave Sheff |
Hillcrest CC |
| 1985 |
Brad Greer |
Virginia CC |
| 1984 |
Brad Greer |
San Gabriel CC |
| 1983 |
David Hobby |
Santa Maria CC |
| 1982 |
Mark Blakely |
Stockdale CC |
| 1981 |
Greg Twiggs |
Stardust CC |
| 1980 |
Jon (Bud) Ardell |
Oakmont CC |
| 1979 |
Jeff Hart |
Hacienda GC |
| 1978 |
Brian Gaddy |
Bel-Air CC |
| 1977 |
Doug Clarke |
La Jolla CC |
| 1976 |
Tony Sills |
California CC |
| 1975 |
Lee Davis |
Wilshire CC |
| 1974 |
Jim Porter |
Brentwood CC |
| 1973 | John Richardson | El Niguel CC |
| 1972 |
Mark Pfeil |
Hillcrest CC |
| 1971 |
John Beetham |
Virginia CC |
| 1970 | Gary Sanders | Oakmont CC |
| 1969 |
U.T. Thompson III |
Hacienda GC |
| 1968 | Barry Jaeckel | Lakeside GC |
| 1967 | Greg Pitzer | Riviera CC |
| 1966 | John A. Jacobs | Victoria Club |
| 1965 | Richard Davies | Annandale GC |
| 1964 | Larry O. Brown | San Gabriel GC |
| 1963 | Bruce McCormick | Hillcrest CC |
| 1962 | Larry Bouchey | Virginia CC |
| 1961 | Ted Richards Jr. | Los Angeles CC |
| 1960 | Ben Alyea | Brentwood CC |
| 1959 | Alan Geiberger | Oakmont CC |
| 1958 | Frank Hixon | Wilshire CC |
| 1957 | Verne Callison | Lakeside GC |
| 1956 | Alan Geiberger | Santa Ana CC |
| 1955 | Jerry Steelsmith | Annandale GC |
| 1954 | Ted Richards Jr. | San Gabriel CC |
| 1953 | Fletcher Jones | Los Angeles CC |
| 1952 | John W. Dawson | Hillcrest CC |
| 1951 | Jim Ferrie | Virginia CC |
| 1950 | Jim Ferrie | Oakmont CC |
| 1949 | Jerry Douglas | Victoria Club |
| 1948 | Bruce McCormick | Wilshire CC |
| 1947 | Bruce McCormick | Los Angeles CC |
| 1946 | Bobby Gardner | Virginia CC |
| 1945 | John Dawson | San Gabriel CC |
| 1944 | John Dawson | Lakeside GC |
| 1943 | Smiley Quick | Hillcrest CC |
| 1942 | John Dawson | Los Angeles CC |
| 1941 | Pat Abbott | Oakmont CC |
| 1940 | Smiley Quick | Lakeside GC |
| 1939 | Frank Hixon | Annandale GC |
| 1938 | Pat Abbott | California CC |
| 1937 | Jack Gaines | Riviera CC |
| 1936 | Roger Kelly | San Diego CC |
| 1935 | Harry Wesbrook | Los Angeles CC |
| 1934 | Charles Seaver | Bel-Air CC |
| 1933 | Harold Thompson | Brentwood CC |
| 1932 | Jack Gaines | San Gabriel CC |
| 1931 | David Martin | Los Angeles CC |
| 1930 | Fay Coleman | Midwick CC |
| 1929 | Gibson Dunlap | Bel-Air CC |
| 1928 | Fay Coleman | Midwick CC |
| 1927 | George Von Elm | Lakeside GC |
| 1926 | Paul Hunter | California CC/Brentwood CC |
| 1925 | George Von Elm | Los Angeles CC |
| 1924 | Paul Hunter | Annandale GC |
| 1923 | Willie Hunter | Midwick CC |
| 1922 | George Von Elm | Flintridge CC/Pasadena GC |
| 1921 | Paul Hunter | Los Angeles CC |
| 1920 | E.H. Seaver | Los Angeles CC |
| 1919 | Douglas Grant | Los Angeles CC |
| 1918 | R.J. Cash, Jr. | Los Angeles CC |
| 1917 | Windsor B. Walton | Midwick CC |
| 1916 | Harold B. Lamb | Los Angeles CC |
| 1915 | E.S. Armstrong | Midwick CC |
| 1914 | Carleton Wright | San Gabriel CC |
| 1913 | Norman Macbeth | Los Angeles CC |
| 1912 | E.S. Armstrong | Los Angeles CC |
| 1911 | Norman Macbeth | Los Angeles CC |
| 1910 | Wm. Frederickson | Annandale GC |
| 1909 | Paul Hunter | Annandale GC |
| 1908 | Paul Hunter | Los Angeles CC |
| 1907 | Sterling Liness | Los Angeles CC |
| 1906 | Wm. Frederickson | Los Angeles CC |
| 1905 | Walter Fairbanks | Los Angeles CC |
| 1904 | W.K. Jewett | Los Angeles CC |
| 1903 | Walter Fairbanks | Los Angeles CC |
| 1902 | H.M. Sears | Pasadena CC |
| 1901 | Walter Fairbanks | Los Angeles CC |
| 1900 | Charles E. Orr | Los Angeles CC |