As one might expect in the movie capital of the world, the proceedings at the George C. Thomas Invitational at Los Angeles Country Club adhered to the script through 36 holes. Decorated mid-amateur Jeronimo Esteve signed for a 5-under-par 66 after Friday’s second round, taking a four-shot lead into the final day.
But then someone substituted a revised script that, depending on your point of view, was part horror, part tragicomedy.
First-round leader Michael Jensen, winner of the San Francisco City Championship earlier this year, eagled the first hole and would add four birdies for a 5-under-par 65 on Saturday’s final round. And Evan Beck was authoring a round that few Hollywood scriptwriters could have imagined.
On 16, (Beck) hit a 170-yard slice around a tree to 14 inches for birdie, a recovery that he called “the shot of the event.”
Beck birdied three of the first four holes on the North Course that will host the U.S. Open next June. He then proceeded to go bogey, double bogey, bogey on the next three to offset his progress. He recovered to play what he called “an incredible back nine” fueled by stunning save after save. On No. 12, he got up and down from 90 yards. On 13, he made a 20-footer for par. On 16, he hit a 170-yard slice around a tree to 14 inches for birdie, a recovery that he called “the shot of the event.” And on 18, he made a 12-foot comebacker to save par. He signed for 2-under 68, having no idea what was going on behind him.
Esteve turned in 1-over par in the final round but still held a comfortable lead with nine holes to go. Until he didn’t. Four back-nine bogeys, including one on the final hole, undid him.
The result was a three-hole aggregate playoff involving Jensen and Beck. The playoff covered holes 1, 2 and 9. Beck posted three pars to claim one of the premier mid-amateur championships in America.
Beck himself is a script-worthy story. After a solid college career at Wake Forest, he turned professional in 2013. However, he hurt his back in 2014 and never fully recovered. He relocated to Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 2018, sought and received amateur reinstatement and began to compete as an amateur in 2020. In 2021, he excelled, winning the Eastern Amateur, the Virginia Open and the Virginia State Mid- Amateur. His victory at the Thomas, coupled with his runner-up finish at the Coleman Invitational in April, has solidified his position as one of the elite mid-amateurs in America.
Beck gets no rest as his reward for his triumph. After boarding a red-eye flight out of Los Angeles on Saturday night, he will attempt to add the Virginia State Amateur title to his growing golf résumé.
The Hollywood scriptwriters are pulling for him.
Jim Nugent