Michael Jensen, a San Francisco resident and former Cal Golden Bear, defeated Kyle Dougherty, 7 and 5, in a 36-hole match Sunday to capture the San Francisco City Championship at TPC Harding Park.
It was quite a weekend for Jensen, as he defeated William Walsh, 6 and 4, in the semifinals and then never trailed in his runaway victory over Dougherty. Jensen (above) went 4 up through the first 10 holes of the marathon championship match and saw his lead cut to 2 up by the time the two broke for lunch. There would be little drama in the afternoon, however, as Jensen won six of 13 holes to close out the match.
His path to the final four was not indicative of how easy Jensen would make it look over the last two matches. He won two matches by 1-up margins and another match 2 and 1, surviving to the same semifinal stage he found himself back in 2020.
Although he plays sparingly on a competitive level, Jensen has played impressive golf in limited time since returning to amateur golf after a modest professional career in which he made 20 starts on the Mackenzie Tour and two starts on the Korn Ferry Tour. Jensen won the Stocker Cup last fall and qualified for the 2019 and 2021 U.S. Mid-Amateurs.
The City, as it is affectionately called, began in 1917 and has been played every year since, taking place through wars and, more recently, a pandemic. Ken Venturi won three times during the 1950s, and others have won before reaching the PGA Tour – George Archer, Martin Trainer and Brandon Hagy among them.
RESULTS
The duo of Michael Parker and Keith Kerr shot 18-under 266 to capture the 54th Champions Cup Invitational on Sunday at Champions Golf Club in Houston, Texas.
Created in 1961 by World Golf Hall of Famers Jack Burke Jr. and Jimmy Demaret as a tribute to amateur golf, the Champions Cup is contested amongst 52 teams of mid-amateurs. The format is 72 holes of four-ball stroke play.
Kerr, a Houstonian, and Parker, of nearby Spring, Texas, started in a tie for 25th after a first-round 1-under 70 that left them five strokes back of leaders Colby Harwell and R.W. McDonald. Kerr and Parker would make their move on Friday and Saturday, carding rounds of 64 and 63 to set up a three-stroke advantage heading into Sunday’s final round.
John Hunter and Brad Segreto, tournament winners in 2016 and 2021, were in the final foursome with Kerr and Parker but surprisingly shot a 2-over 74 in the finale to finish eight strokes back in a tie for sixth. Meanwhile, Kerr and Parker cruised home with a 3-under 69, facing little resistance from the field.
Staff and Wire Reports