Long Beach Golf Festival
Issue link: https://digital.insidegolfmedia.com/i/1084796
MEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS 14 • Long Beach Golf Festival Tournament Guide • 2019 Edition T he "Men's City Am" consists of the Men's City Championship, a 54-hole scratch competition with a cut after the first two rounds (July 19-20 at Skylinks and Recreation Park), and the brand-new Men's City Challenge, a 54-hole net competition with a cut after the completion of rounds one (July 12 at Recreation Park) and two (July 13 at Skylinks). Those who survive their respective cut will gather at El Dorado Park on July 21 for Showdown Sun- day, where winners will be crowned from both tourna- ments. Either event can be entered for $199. u Defending champion: Lewis Simon .................................................................................. u Age: 26 .................................................................................. u Handicap: plus-2 .................................................................................. u Background: Lives in Torrance; played at UC San Diego; attending graduate school at UCLA and plays Rancho Park and other nearby courses. .................................................................................. u Keys to victory: Simon opened with a 70 at Recreation Park, closed with a 68 at El Dorado Park and sandwiched a bogey-free 64 between them at Skylinks. His 54-hole total of 202 left him one stroke ahead of 2017 runner-up Torey Edwards, and he clinched the victory with birdies on two of his final three holes. "I had never really had a significant amateur win, so that's what made it so spe- cial," Simon said. "The Long Beach City Championship is a tournament I had played in since I was just out of high school, so it was cool to win this one." .................................................................................. u Will he defend? Yes .................................................................................. u Beyond the scorecard: "Each of the three courses is pretty different," Simon said. "Skylinks is more of a links- style course, and the wind can really play a factor. El Do- rado is kind of tight off the tee, so you don't hit too many drivers and just try to keep it in play. People go low at Recreation Park all the time, but the wind can pick up and make it more challenging. It adds some pressure knowing that you're expected to shoot a good score there." CLICK HERE for complete details and to enter the 2019 Men's City Am