Michael Jensen doesn’t play much competitive golf, but he definitely makes every start count.
The San Francisco resident and former Cal Golden Bear golfer became the first back-to-back winner of the Stocker Cup, a 54-hole mid-amateur event contested each fall at The Preserve Golf Club in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Jensen’s 12-under 204 total set a tournament scoring record for the 54-hole version of the event, which was implemented in 2012.
A year after winning in a playoff over fellow local Jason Anthony, Jensen did battle with Joe Neuheisel, a Scottsdale, Arizona, resident who is the son of former college football coach Rick Neuheisel. The two shared a three-stroke lead heading into the final round after both players shot 67-68 in the opening two rounds to reach 9-under.
Neuheisel fell behind early by making a bogey on No. 1 before watching Jensen birdie the par-3 second, but that wouldn’t be the last momentum swing of the day. After making birdies on Nos. 4 and 5 to regain a share of the lead, Neuheisel bogeyed the sixth to fall one back before being on the right side of a two-shot swing when he birdied the par-4 seventh. After both players made birdie on the par-5 eighth, Jensen had a two-shot swing go in his favor when he birdied the par-4 ninth. All the commotion gave Jensen a one-stroke advantage heading into the back nine.
There would be more back-and-forth play down the stretch. Neuheisel made birdie on the par-4 11th to tie, Jensen made birdie on No. 12 to take the lead back, and then Neuheisel made birdie on the par-5 13th to share the lead once again. Both players would make bogey on No. 15, meaning it would all come down to the last three holes.
The tournament would be decided on the par-3 16th. Neuheisel missed the green, hit a poor chip and then three-putted for double bogey. Jensen saved his par, going two strokes ahead. A hole later, he made birdie to extend the lead to three. Both competitors made par at the last, giving Jensen the three-stroke victory. Neuheisel finished second, two strokes ahead of Brian Blanchard and Geoff Gonzalez.
It’s the second win of the year for Jensen, who took home the trophy in the San Francisco City Championship. He also lost in a playoff to Evan Beck at the George C. Thomas Invitational, one of the top mid-am tournaments of the year. Those are his only World Amateur Golf Ranking results of the year.
The Stocker Cup celebrated its 30th anniversary this year. The event, which was once held at Pebble Beach and surrounding courses during the 1990s before moving to The Preserve in 2000, honors the life of Peter Stocker, a passionate amateur golfer and former partner in San Francisco’s Pacific Union Company. The firm led the development of The Preserve, a private course cut out of the Santa Lucia Preserve not far from the Monterey Peninsula.
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Sean Fairholm