112th California Amateur Championship

June 19 - 24, 2023, Lake Merced GC

This is one of the nation’s oldest state amateur golf championships. The championship originated in 1912 and was held at Pebble Beach Golf Links from 1919 until 2006. In 2007 the CGA broadened the scope of this prestigious championship by rotating the weeklong event to selected courses throughout the state, alternating between Northern California and Southern California every other year. Players must have an index of 4.4 or less, qualifying is available statewide for both NCGA and SCGA players, players may only attempt to qualify once. The Championship consists of 156 players who will play 36-holes of individual stroke play to determine the 32 player match play field. The final match is played over 36 holes. During the stroke play portion of the tournament a simultaneous team competition takes place between the NCGA vs. SCGA competing for the Roger Latham Cup.

Championship InfoQualifying InfoExemptions

CHARLIE REITER BUILDS INSURMOUNTABLE LEAD, WINS CAL-AM

Photos Results

156 of the state’s top amateurs showed up at Big Canyon CC in Newport Beach and attempted to outduel each other in hopes of getting their name engraved on the Edward B. Tufts trophy.

The lone survivor of the grueling week and the winner of the 111th California Amateur Championship is Charlie Reiter, of Palm Desert.

Reiter defeated Kevin Huff, of El Dorado Hills, 5 & 4, in a 36-hole final match in which he never trailed.

The front nine of the morning session was a tightly contested seesaw battle that ended with Reiter clinging to a 1UP lead as both players made the turn. From there, the University of San Diego standout dropped a cinder block on the gas pedal and won six holes on the back to take a commanding 6UP lead into the lunchbreak.

Reiter’s late-morning dominance was not a byproduct of poor play from his opponent. Huff was hitting good shots and getting around the course like a finalist who outlasted 154 others. But Reiter was dialed into another level of golf. His drives were blistered north of 320 yards, his irons were tight, and his flatstick had smoke coming off the face. And unless he was going to order a turkey sandwich loaded with tryptophan for lunch—nothing was going to slow him down. And nothing did.

Reiter’s 6UP advantage coming out the break would quickly stretch to seven after Huff laid up on the par-five No. 2 only to dump his approach into the water. Reiter then seized on Huff’s misplay in the bunker on the very next hole and got the match to 8UP. Two holes later and Reiter was a 9UP with 13 to play.

The San Diego Torero and the Fresno State Bulldog would go on to halve the next three holes giving Reiter a chance to close out the match without needing to make the turn in the afternoon session. But an errant tee shot led to a drop and Reiter lost his first hole going all the way back to No. 15, hours earlier. After 27 holes, Reiter still had a stranglehold on the championship, 8UP with nine to play.

But then the tides turned in the most unexpected ways. Reiter, who had seemed bulletproof since the minute he laced-up his FootJoys, suddenly started to crack. And Huff, who seemed on the ropes since before the gallery finished their first cup of coffee, started to punch his way back into the fight.

Up until the 27th hole of the championship final, Huff had only gotten the better of Reiter twice. But then he flipped a switch and took the defibrillator paddles to a match that was on life support by winning four of five holes to cut the deficit nearly in half. Reiter, who was once 9UP with 10 to play, was now 5UP with five to play.

Part of the luxury of building a massive lead is being able to give a lot of it back. And even though Reiter was on the golf course one hour and five holes longer than he wanted to be, he was still in firm command needing only to halve a single hole to permanently stop the bleeding and peel out of Newport Beach with the very same hardware he came so close to winning in 2020.

And that’s exactly what happened when Huff slid a six-foot birdie just by the cup to finally run out of gas once and for all on No. 14, the 32nd hole of the final.

"Finishing second, that wasn't going to happen again," Reiter declared. "We got off to a quick start and I kept it going. It was awesome."

The mountain Reiter had built was so incredibly high that Huff’s amazing late afternoon run didn’t even summit half of it. Reiter also had honors for 24 for the 32 holes played in the final.

"Having honors is very important in match play because you control the tempo. Hitting good drives is tough to follow. But [Kevin Huff] did a good job with it. It was a very good match between both of us."

For Reiter, this was a long time coming and redemption for his runner-up finish at the Cal-Am just two years ago. Now he gets to hold the trophy he nearly won in 2020 and his name will be on there for the rest of time.

Asked how he was going to celebrate, Reiter said with a big smile and a laugh, "I don't know yet. But I'm sure something will go down that I won't remember."

Past Winners

Year Winner Medalist Team Site
2022 Charlie Reiter
Tony Chen Southern California Big Canyon CC
2021 Noah Woolsey
Christian Banke Northern California The Preserve
2020 Joey Vrzich
Stephen Hale Southern California Torrey Pines GC
2019 William Mouw
Sean Yu Southern California Monterey Peninsula CC
2018 Bobby Bucey
Cody Hall
Northern California Omni La Costa Resort & Spa
2017 PJ Samiere
Eddy Lai
Southern California The Olympic Club
2016 Shintaro Ban
Bryan Baumgarten and Andrew Levitt Northern California Valencia CC
2015 Shotaro Ban
Satch Herrmann Southern California
Lake Merced GC
2014 Xander Schauffele
Jason Anthony Southern California Omni La Costa Resort & Spa
2013 Cory McElyea Corey Pereira and Xander Schauffele Northern California Monterey Peninsula GC
2012 Kevin Marsh Bhavik Patel Southern California La Cumbre CC
2011 Bhavik Patel Philip Chian Northern California The Olympic Club
2010 Scott Travers
Scott Almquist
Kevin Fitzgerald
Southern California

Rancho Santa Fe GC and La Jolla GC

2009 Geoff Gonzalez
Geoff Gonzalez Southern California Lake Merced GC
2008 Nick Delio
Matt Hoffenbers
Alex Kim
Scott McGihon
Northern California Lakeside GC and Oakmont CC
2007 Josh Anderson
Blake Trimble Southern California Monterey Peninsula CC
2006 Jordan Nasser
Steve Woods Southern California Pebble Beach Golf Links
2005 Don DuBois
Jordan Cox Northern California Pebble Beach Golf Links
2004 Spencer Levin
Mark Sear Northern California Pebble Beach Golf Links
2003 Patrick Nagle
Roy Moon Northern California Pebble Beach Golf Links
2002 Eddie Heinen
Don DuBois Southern California Pebble Beach Golf Links
2001 Darryl Donovan
Jeff Wilson Northern California Pebble Beach Golf Links
2000 Nick Jones
James Stewart
Todd Miller
Southern California Bayonet and Blackhorse GC
1999 Tim Hogarth
Ed Cuff, Jr.
Steve Conway
Southern California Pebble Beach Golf Links
1998 Ed Cuff, Jr. Craig Steinberg Southern California Pebble Beach Golf Links
1997 Jason Gore Tim Hogarth Southern California Pebble Beach Golf Links
1996 Mark Johnson Jeff Gilchrist Northern California Pebble Beach Golf Links
1995 Jeff Sanday Mark Johnson Southern California Pebble Beach Golf Links
1994 Steve Woods Steve Woods Southern California Pebble Beach Golf Links
1993 Casey Boyns Gary Vanier Northern California Pebble Beach Golf Links
1992 Todd Demsey Harry Rudolph, III Southern California Pebble Beach Golf Links
1991 Harry Rudolph III Sandy Galbraith Southern California Pebble Beach Golf Links
1990 Charlie Wi Mark Johnson
Paul Stankowski
Southern California Pebble Beach Golf Links
1989 Casey Boyns Jerry Michaels Pebble Beach Golf Links
1988 Don Parsons Aaron Meeks Pebble Beach Golf Links
1987 Mike Springer Bob Lasken
Tim Loustalot
Steve Bogan
Pebble Beach Golf Links
1986 Terrence Miskell Dana Banke Pebble Beach Golf Links
1985 Sam Randolph Sam Randolph Pebble Beach Golf Links
1984 Duffy Waldorf Duffy Waldorf Pebble Beach Golf Links
1983 Kris Moe Gregg Twiggs Pebble Beach Golf Links
1982 Gary Vanier Corey Pavin Pebble Beach Golf Links
1981 Joe Tamburino Mike Barnblatt Pebble Beach Golf Links
1980 Bobby Clampett Bobby Clampett Pebble Beach Golf Links
1979 Mark O’Meara Lennie Clements Pebble Beach Golf Links
1978 Bobby Clampett Don Levin Pebble Beach Golf Links
1977 Lee Mikles Tom Culligan Pebble Beach Golf Links
1976 Mike Brannan Scott Simpson Pebble Beach Golf Links
1975 John Cook C. Richardson
Curtis Worley
Pebble Beach Golf Links
1974 Curtis Worley Craig Stadler Pebble Beach Golf Links
1973 Mike Brannan Mike Brannan Pebble Beach Golf Links
1972 Mac Hunter Mark Pfeil Pebble Beach Golf Links
1971 Doug Nelson Sandy Galbraith Pebble Beach Golf Links
1970 Bob Risch Tom Smith Pebble Beach Golf Links
1969 Forrest Fezler Ted Lyford Pebble Beach Golf Links
1968 Johnny Miller Les Peterson Pebble Beach Golf Links
1967 Bob E. Smith Arne Dokka Pebble Beach Golf Links
1966 Bob Eastwood Bob Eastwood
Cesar Sanudo
Jack Bariteau
Pebble Beach Golf Links
1965 Vern Callison Dr. Art Butler Pebble Beach Golf Links
1964 Steve Opperman Ron Cerrudo Pebble Beach Golf Links
1963 Dr. Paul Travis Peter Choate Pebble Beach Golf Links
1962 Dick Lotz John Lotz Pebble Beach Golf Links
1961 John Richardson No qualifying Pebble Beach Golf Links
1960 Larry Bouchey Dr. Art Butler Pebble Beach Golf Links
1959 Vern Callison Dan Morgan
Bob Roos
Pebble Beach Golf Links
1958 Eli Bariteau Dan Morgan Pebble Beach Golf Links
1957 Tal Smith Dr. William O’Neal Pebble Beach Golf Links
1956 Ken Venturi Bob Silvestri
Ken Venturi
Pebble Beach Golf Links
1955 Dr. Frank Taylor Tom Draper Pebble Beach Golf Links
1954 Dr. Frank Taylor Dr. William O’Neal Pebble Beach Golf Links
1953 Gene Littler Ken Venturi Pebble Beach Golf Links
1952 Bob Silvestri Gene Littler Pebble Beach Golf Links
1951 Ken Venturi Bud Holscher Pebble Beach Golf Links
1950 Bob Gardner Fred Jordan Pebble Beach Golf Links
1949 Mac Hunter Gene Littler
Tal Smith
John Dawson
Pebble Beach Golf Links
1948 Eli Bariteau Russell York
Bob Silvestri
Pebble Beach Golf Links
1947 Bob Gardner Morgan Fottrell Pebble Beach Golf Links
1946 Bruce McCormick Eli Bariteau Pebble Beach Golf Links
1945 Bruce McCormick John Dawson Pebble Beach Golf Links
1944 Ernie Pieper, Jr. Bob Rosburg Pebble Beach Golf Links
1943 Elmer Cites Henry Suico Pebble Beach Golf Links
1942 John Dawson Bud Brownell Pebble Beach Golf Links
1941 Ernie Pieper, Jr. Ralph Lomelli Pebble Beach Golf Links
1940 Ed Monaghan Rennie Kelly Pebble Beach Golf Links
1939 Jack Gage Roger Kelly Pebble Beach Golf Links
1938 Roger Kelly Roger Kelly Pebble Beach Golf Links
1937 Roger Kelly Ernest Combs
Frank Hixon
Pebble Beach Golf Links
1936 Mat Palacio, Jr. Roger Kelly Pebble Beach Golf Links
1935 Jack Gaines Ernie Pieper Jr. Pebble Beach Golf Links
1934 Stuart Hawley John Robbins
Jack Nounman
Pebble Beach Golf Links
1933 Charles Seaver No qualifying Pebble Beach Golf Links
1932 Neil White No qualifying Pebble Beach Golf Links
Commenting is not available on this page.

[email protected]

Handicap Index: +3.0
Monday, April 04, 2022

Will there be a host hotel nearby the 111th Cal Am?
Please advise.