SANTA CRUZ — Golf talent Jed Dy added to his fan base with each shot he took at the 33rd Santa Cruz Amateur over the weekend.
And after his 36-hole total was tabulated Sunday afternoon, the 20-year-old Rancho Santa Fe resident added to his trophy case, too.
Dy, featured on Netflix’s 2013 documentary “The Short Game,” has won more than 100 tournaments since he took up the game as a 5-year-old, including three Junior World Championships. He can add the 2024 City Am title to the list.
The incoming junior for San Jose State University, an offseason transfer from George Washington University, played DeLaveaga Golf Course for the first time and shot a tournament-record, 6-under 134 total. It was the lowest winning score since the course became a par-70 layout in 2005.
“It means a lot,” Dy said. “Because heading into college, it’s a good confidence booster.”
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Even more impressive, DeLaveaga head professional Tim Loustalot believes it was the deepest field in tournament history. Twenty-two players in the championship flight boasted plus handicaps, meaning they routinely shoot under par.
And the course, as always, played tough. Only four players finished under par.
Dy, who shot rounds of 66 and 68, made it look easy.
“He played fantastic. He didn’t make a mistake,” said Monterey’s Billy Moon, who tied for second place. “He really played a methodical game, which is impressive for a young kid like him. He didn’t try and do anything out of the ordinary and took what the golf course gave him.”
Dy, a native of Makati, Philippines, was a model of consistency: off the tees, and on the fairways and greens. He had just one bogey in the tournament, on the par-3 11th hole, and it came in Saturday’s first round.
“I felt like my stroke was smooth throughout, so that gave me a lot of confidence,” he said. “For me, the most important thing is my process before the shot. If I don’t have a good process, then I already know that the outcome won’t be as good as I intended to be.”
Despite checking in a 6-foot-1, 160 pounds, Dy routinely outdrove everyone in the leader’s foursome.
His drive was 65 yards shy of the green on the 404-yard ninth hole. And, he nearly drove the green on the 341-yard 14th hole — with a 3-wood.
“When I swing, I use a lot of my legs,” he said. “I’d say that produced most of the power in my swing.”
Fellow SJSU junior Alaric Mercie De Soultrait, a native of Biarritz, France, and Moon, a former talent at Stanislaus State and later Cal State University Monterey Bay, tied for second at 137.
Mercie narrowly missed three birdie putts in the 12- to 15-foot range over the final five holes, and closed with 68.
“It’s golf,” Mercie said. “I made some, so it’s golf.”
Moon, 39, hit an errant drive on the par-5 17th hole that went out-of-bounds and he carded a bogey-6 to take him out of title contention. The 2024 U.S. Mid-Amateur qualifier closed with 70.
“I made a bunch of pars and stayed in it for a long time,” said Moon, a left-handed hitter. “I kinda pressed on (hole number) 17. I wanted to hit a squeeze cut, as a lefty, down the hill, and get-on- in-two type of shot. That’s not my natural shot; I hit a draw. It was just an awkward shot. I blocked it and hit in the hazard and made bogey. And that was it.”
San Diego’s Brian Walker, a fixture at the tournament for nearly two decades, took fourth place with a 138 total, and Santa Cruz’s Kyle Davis shot 140 and placed fifth.
Santa Cruz’s Neil Ostermann, the 2022 champ and a three-time runner-up, finished sixth with a 141 total. He was followed on the leaderboard by Santa Cruz’s Nathan Robinson (144), Carmichael’s Joe Pardini (145), and San Mateo’s Sam Harris (146).
Scotts Valley’s Drew Collishaw and Lucius Nielsen tied for 10th at 147.
Often during summer tournaments, a golfer’s bag and wardrobe are similar to walking billboards, advertising each player’s current high school or college or home course affiliation. Dy sported a George Washington University bag and hat. He said he hasn’t yet been outfitted with SJSU gear.
“Soon, soon. When school starts. I have to earn the bag,” he said.
Dy received a hearty applause from the gallery when he putted out for par on hole No. 18 for the win. Several in attendance asked to take a photo with him, and, many of them were elated that they haven’t seen the last of the golf talent.
SJSU hosts its annual tournament, the Western Intercollegiate, each April at Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz. It begins the day after The Masters tournament ends and airs on The Golf Channel.
In other action, Vacaville’s Bob Johnson took first the Senior division, though he, Sunnyvale’s Tony Ralph and Felton’s Mark Sowlakis finished with 148 totals; and Santa Cruz’s Rich Gleghorn earned a 13-shot margin of victory in the Super Senior division.
Salinas’ Naomi Raymundo (159) took first in the Ladies Gross division, and Santa Cruz’s Michele Thiltgen (140) took first in the Ladies Net division.
In the three men’s net flights, Aptos’ Jacob Fassio (141) won the first flight, Orangeville’s Joseph Fleming (135) won the second flight, and Los Gatos’ Vern Johnson (143) won the third flight.
FINAL LEADERBOARD
Championship flight
1, Jed Dy, Rancho Santa Fe, 66-68–134
T2, Alaric Mercie, San Jose, 69-68–137
T2, Billy Moon, Monterey, 67-70–137
4, Brian Walker, San Diego, 70-68–138
5, Kyle Davis, Santa Cruz, 70-70–140
6, Neil Ostermann, Santa Cruz, 141
7, Nathan Robinson, Santa Cruz, 71-70–144
8, Joe Pardini, Carmichael, 71-74–145
9, Sam Harris, San Mateo, 71-75–146
T10, Drew Collishaw, Scotts Valley, 76-71–147
T10, Lucius Nielsen, Scotts Valley, 74-73–147
