Hagestad feels at home at George C. Thomas Jr. Amateur
Mid-Am winner Stewart Hagestad with
Senior champ Mike McCoy (photo courtesy Mike McCoy)
Stewart Hagestad played the George C. Thomas Jr. Invitational like it was just another casual weekend of golf at his home club – which it was.
Hagestad, the 2016 United States Mid-Amateur champion and three-time Walker Cup team member, strolled to a nine-stroke victory at the George C. Thomas Jr. Amateur Championship, which concluded Saturday at the Los Angele Country Club (North Course). After opening with a 71, the USC product and Newport Beach, Calif. resident made himself right at home with weekend rounds of 69 and 67 for a 54-hole total of 9-under 207.
His closest pursuer, Nick Greer, finished second at 4-over 216 after rounds of 73-72-71.
Hagestad, 30, enjoyed a comfortable four stroke lead over Nico Bollini and
Ryan Abbate heading into the final round and made an immediate statement out of the gates by collecting back-to-back birdies. He birdied holes 5 and 8 to make the turn in 31 and came home in 36 with a birdie on 18.
A pair of Iowans topped the leaderboard in the Senior Championship Division, with close friends
Mike McCoy earning a five-stroke victory over
Gene Elliott. McCoy, who played on the 2015 Walker Cup team and is five-time Iowa Amateur champion, followed his opening round of 68 with rounds of 72-74 to finish at 2-over 214, five strokes ahead of Elliott at 219 (74-72-73).
ABOUT THE
George Thomas Invitational
54-hole stroke play invitational with Mid-Am and
Senior divisions is named for George C. Thomas, Jr.,
the legendary golf course architect who designed the
courses for Bel-Air Country Club, The Los Angeles
Country Club, Riviera Country Club and others in the
1920s. Thomas was a prominent rose breeder on
the
East Coast before gaining fame as a golf course
designer. Los Angeles Country Club was the host of
the 2017 Walker Cup.
View Complete Tournament Information