Long Beach Golf Festival

LONG BEACH OPEN u Defending champion: Taylor Montgomery. ....................................................................................................... u Age: 27. ....................................................................................................... u Turned pro: 2017. ....................................................................................................... u Background: A Las Vegas native, he played college golf at UNLV and learned the game at Shadow Creek, where his father is Director of Golf. ....................................................................................................... u Key to 2019 victory: Montgomery cashed a $33,000 check after shooting 65-67-64-68. "I did everything really well," he said. ....................................................................................................... u What stood out about the victory? "It got a good stretch started for me," Montgomery said. "I had played well going into the Long Beach Open, but not that well. I ended up winning three more tournaments after that, which helped out financially, and then I got through Q-School to get on the Korn Ferry Tour. It was the start of a nice little run." ....................................................................................................... u What's new since winning in 2019: Montgomery graduated from Korn Ferry Tour Q-School in 2019 and joined the circuit in 2020. He recorded 14 top-25s, including three T2s, in 38 starts across the 2020-21 season, finishing 26th in both the regular season and final points stand- ings. Thus far this season, he has two top-10s. He qualified for the 2021 U.S. Open, made the cut and finished T57, then returned to Torrey Pines on a sponsor exemption for the 2022 Farmers Insurance Open and shot 72-64-71-69 to finish T11, just three strokes off the winning score. ....................................................................................................... u Will he defend? Likely not, as the tournament is the same week as the Korn Ferry Tour's Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank. ....................................................................................................... u Beyond the scorecard: Montgomery finished second in the 2017 Long Beach Open, five strokes off the lead. When: August 4-7. ......................................... Where: El Dorado Park, Skylinks. ......................................... Format: 72 holes aggregate stroke play, with a 36-hole cut to the low 60 professionals and ties, as well as the low 6 amateurs and ties. If the 36- hole cut includes more than 70 professionals, there will also be a 54-hole cut.. ......................................... Entry Fee: $825. ......................................... Entry Deadline: July 27. ......................................... Eligibility: Men professional golfers and 9 men amateurs that have earned exemptions through the Long Beach Golf Festival's qualification stan- dards. The professional field is limited to 303 players. ......................................... >EXTRA! CLICK for details on Amateur Qualifying. CLICK HERE to enter the 2022 Long Beach Open. Long Beach Golf Festival Tournament Guide • 2022 Edition

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