Southern California Golf Association -- 101st SCGA Amateur Championship.

Sports Editors & Golf Writers

RANCHO SANTA FE, Calif.--(BW SportsWire)--June 24, 2000

Earlier this month, Steve Conway of Dove Canyon won the CIF-SCGA High School Boys Championship by shooting a tournament-record 65 at The SCGA Members' Club. Tomorrow, the 18-year-old Conway shoots for the biggest amateur golf prize in Southern California: the 101st Southern California Golf Association (SCGA) Amateur Championship.

Conway, who will enroll at UCLA in the fall, sank a 35-foot birdie putt on the 582-yard, par-five 18th hole en route to a 2-under-par 69 today at Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club. Conway is at 208 for three rounds (5 under par) and overtook second-round leader Darin Sullivan of San Diego, who is in second place after a 1-over-par 72 today and a three-round total of 210.

If Conway wins tomorrow, he will become the second-youngest person to win the event. Dr. Paul Hunter was 17 years old when he won the first his five SCGA Amateur titles in 1908.

Scott McGihon of Bermuda Dunes, who led this event after three rounds last year, fired a 2-over-par 73 today and alone in third place with an even-par total of 213. Another shot back is former U.S. Junior Amateur champion Terry Noe of Fullerton, whose 70 today was one of only four subpar rounds posted on the venerable Rancho Santa Fe layout.

The final round will begin at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow (Sunday), with the leaders scheduled to tee off at 10:10 a.m.

The SCGA Amateur Championship is the nation's second-oldest continuously contested amateur golf championship, having been contested every years since 1899 (the Utah Amateur predates the SCGA championship by a few months).

RESULTS:

Southern California Golf Association 101st SCGA Amateur Championship
at Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club; Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. 6,911 yards;
yards; par 71

54-hole results:

      208 -- Steven Conway, Dove Canyon, 71-68-69.
      210 -- Darin Sullivan, San Diego, 68-70-72.
      213 -- Scott McGihon, Bermuda Dunes, 68-72-73.
      214 -- Terry Noe, Fullerton, 69-75-70.
      216 -- John Mallinger, Long Beach, 65-76-75; Craig Steinberg, Van
    Nuys, 71-73-72.
      217 -- Donald O'Connor, San Diego, 70-72-75; Eric Wang, Cypress,
    70-72-75; Tim Hogarth, Northridge, 71-73-73; Chris Fox, Yorba
    Linda, 71-75-71; Pat Duncan, Rancho Santa Fe, 74-73-70.
      218 -- Bret Parker, Villa Park, 72-70-76.
      219 -- Travis Matye, Lancaster, 74-71-74; Kevin Wurtz, Long Beach,
    75-73-71.
      220 -- John Lieber, El Cajon, 74-73-73; Gilberto Rodriguez,
    Bonita, 72-76-72; Greg Puga, Los Angeles, 74-74-72.
      221 -- Mark Etue, Carlsbad, 72-73-76; Jerry Chang, Manhattan
    Beach, 74-72-75; James Camaione, Upland, 74-74-73; Victor Zayas,
    Jr., San Diego, 73-75-73; Kemp Richardson, Laguna Niguel,
    74-77-70.
      222 -- Greg Uberuaga, San Diego, 73-74-75; James Popoff, Whittier,
    75-74-73.
      223 -- Brock Shafer, Playa Del Rey, 75-74-74; John Merrick, Long
    Beach, 75-77-71.
      224 -- Chris Galeski, Carlsbad, 71-78-75; Gary Havro, Claremont,
    75-72-77.
      225 -- Nick Beauvy, Pacific Palisades, 75-74-76; Robert Funk,
    Canyon Lake, 76-75-74; Ryan Donovan, Yorba Linda, 75-76-74; George
    Downing, III, Santa Barbara, 75-76-75.
      226 -- Jim Skinner, Manhattan Beach, 75-76-75.
      227 -- Patrick Carrigan, Alhambra, 73-75-79; Alex Oh, Hawaiian
    Gardens, 75-75-77; John Balfanz, Bakersfield, 79-71-77; Keith
    Kinsel, Glendale, 73-77-77.
      228 -- Jim Plotkin, Carlsbad, 75-77-76; Ryan Nomura, Carpinteria,
    72-80-76.
      232 -- Mike Walker, Newport Beach, 77-74-81; Charles Watkins, San
    Diego, 74-78-80.
      236 -- John Wardrup, San Diego, 73-79-84

NOTE:
Final round is Sunday, with tee times beginning at 7:30 a.m. A more
detailed story is on the SCGA web site at
http://www.scga.org/tourney/hotlist.cgi