Will Zalatoris
EUGENE, Ore. — 2014 USGA Junior Champion
Will Zalatoris of Plano, Texas and a member
of the Wake Forest Demon Deacon Men's Golf
Team, posted an impressive three-under-par
second round to take a one-stroke-lead at the
49th Pacific Coast Amateur Championship
hosted by Eugene Country Club.
After opening the Championship with a modest
even-par 70 yesterday, Zalatoris put
himself in great position heading into the final
36-holes of the Championship with a three-
under-par 67 second round.
Zalatoris, who had grandeur amateur
competition plans this summer before falling ill
and
requiring an emergency appendectomy, is glad
to be back in his form that garnered him
attention as a preliminary Walker Cup hopeful.
"Coming off surgery, I was really looking
forward to this week. My game started to click
right after the final round of the Southern
Amateur and I played some really good rounds
at home recently," stated Zalatoris.
"My dad joked that 'I am back' but I really
haven't been anywhere it is just getting back in
the rhythm of things."
Asked about how motivating it was to have John
'Spider' Miller, the Captain of the United
States Walker Cup team, speak at the Player's
Dinner on Monday and watch all week,
Zalatoris was true to his determined nature as a
golfer.
"I get a chance to represent my country and I
know that the tables weren't really in my
favor in May and June when I had the surgery
but I had a really good year last year,"
stated Zalatoris.
"All I can do is play good golf and control my
emotions."
Sitting one stroke back from the Texan is a part
time Texas native in Bryson DeChambeau
of Clovis, California. DeChambeau, the reigning
NCAA individual champion and member of
the Southern Methodist University Mustang Men's
Golf Team out of Dallas, posted rounds
of 70-68 (138) to sit at two-under-par for the
Championship, solo second.
First round leader Colton Yates of Scottsdale,
Arizona slid slightly down the leaderboard
with a three-over-par 73, en route to posting
140 (67-73). Tied with Yates in third are
Scottie Scheffler of Dallas, Texas (72-68),
Andrew McCain of Trinity, Florida (70-70) and
University of Oregon Duck Aaron Wise of Lake
Elsinore, California who posted 69-71.
Other leaderboard notables to watch heading
into the home stretch of the 72-hole stroke
play competition is defending champion Corey
Pereira of Cameron Park, CA (72-69-141;
T7) and local Eugenian and Oregon Duck Sulman
Raza (75-66-141; T7). Raza posted to low
round of round two with a four-under-par 66.
Maverick McNealy of Portola Valley,
California sits tied for 11th after rounds of 70-72
(142).
Capturing the Morse Cup team competition is the
contingent from the Northern California
Golf Association lead by DeChambeau, McNealy
and Pereira. Finishing runner-up in the 36-
hole team competition was their competitors to
the south and defending champions
Southern California Golf Association.
Held on an annual basis since 1967, with roots
dating back to 1901, the Pacific Coast
Amateur Championship boasts a rich history of
showcasing some of the most talented
golfers in the United States, Canada and beyond.
Past champions of the Pacific Coast Amateur
who have gone on to successful professional
careers include PGA Tour winners Billy Mayfair
(1987, 1988), Jason Gore (1997) and Ben
Crane (1998) as well as Web.com Tour winners
and brothers Michael Putnam (2004) and
Andrew Putnam (2010), both of whom won at
Eugene Country Club.
ABOUT THE
Pacific Coast Amateur
Although its present history only dates from
1967, the Pacific Coast
Amateur Championship's roots make it one of
the
oldest amateur
golf championships in American history. The first
tournament was
held on the links of San Francisco Golf Club at
The
Presidio, April 24-
27, 1901. Championships were held annually
through 1911, all being
conducted in California except for the 1909
championship, which was
held at Seattle Golf Club in Washington. The
Pacific Coast Amateur
then ceased to exist, only to be reconstituted at
Seattle Golf Club on
August 10-12, 1967 with the Pacific Northwest,
Northern California,
Southern California, Oregon and Arizona golf
associations
participating.
Today, 15 member Pacific Rim golf
associations comprise
the Pacific Coast Golf Association. Players can
be
invited to this 72-
hole stroke play event by their Pacific Coast G.A.
member golf
association, or as an individual.
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