Jack Schultz (Wisconsin Golf Photo)

The 2023 Wisconsin State Amateur champion finished 6-under, defeating the rest of the field by three shots.

Schultz tied the tournament record with a 7-under 65 in the second round after an opening round of 4-over 76. He closed with a final round 3-under 69 to shut the door on the rest of the field.

The players had to deal with 20-mile-per-hour consistent winds and colder weather in the first round.

“I did hit the ball well,” Schultz said. “I hit 15 greens, but my putter just wasn’t there. The greens at the Preserve are really tough to read. They are quick, and especially with the wind, it can make a difference.” 

Schultz added, “My takeaway was I still played pretty well.”

In the second round, Schultz chipped in on No. 15 for a birdie and No. 17 for an eagle.

"It was the first seven holes that really made the difference," Schultz said.

Heading into the final round, Schultz had a different mindset than previous years with added experience.

"In the past, I would be so nervous and think about what I needed to shoot and how it was there, and it is not fun to have that, so my mindset was just to play well," Schultz said.

He added, "I wanted to hit the ball well and play golf in a safe and easy-to-do way. This was my third year playing, and I finally knew the course."

Defending champion Colby Harwell also turned his tournament around in the second round, shooting a 6-under 66 in the second round after an opening 4-over 76 as well. Harwell finished in solo second place at 3-under.

Jason Anthony, Nate Smith, Bryan Hoops, and Rusty Mosely all finished T3 at 2-under to round out the top five.

The Stocker Cup was founded in 1991 to honor the memory of Peter Stocker. Peter and his partners Bill Harlan and John Montgomery founded San Francisco's Pacific Union Company, a highly successful real estate development company.

The firm initiated the development of The Santa Lucia Preserve, a 20,000-acre residential and golf community located above Carmel. Meandering through the winding road to The Preserve's centerpiece -- the top-100-rated golf course -- has been described as "driving through a California postcard."

The Stocker Cup was played from 1991 to 1999 at Pebble Beach and its surrounding golf courses before moving to the Tom Fazio and Sandy Tatum-designed Preserve G.C. In the words of former USGA President Tatum: "Peter Stocker was the quintessential amateur golfer. He loved golf with a passion. He would have loved this tournament."