La Jolla, Calif.----- San Jose State University freshman Caleb Shetler led from start to finish and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the 109th California State Amateur Championship with a 3-and-2 match-play victory over Puwit Anupansuebsai, a senior at San Diego State University.
Shetler will take on University of San Diego sophomore Harrison Kingsley of Murrieta, Calif., who defeated Caden Fioroni, 5&3, at the Torrey Pines Golf Club. Kingsley is a teammate of Daniel Kay, the player Shetler defeated in a one-hole playoff after the two were tied playing 18 holes in a Round-of-32 battle that included four lead changes.
Shetler's Round-of-16 win in the six-day championship pitted him against Anupansuebsai, the 2020 Mountain West Player of the Year. Shetler is the 2020 Mountain West Freshman of the Year. Anupansuebsai came into the California State Am ranked #28 by GolfStat, a collegiate golf ranking service, and #107th in the World Amateur Golf rankings (WAGR).
The first-year Spartan from Saratoga, Calif., took the lead with a par on the first hole to Anupansuebsai's bogey and built 3-up leads after the 7th and 12th holes before closing out the match with a birdie on the par-3, 16th hole.
"My wedges were really solid today. I got up-and-down every single time today. That's pretty unusual, especially for this golf course," said Shetler, who counted five times he was able to execute an up-and-down situation around the green. A chip to less than two feet on hole-#7 propelled the Valley Christian High grad to his first 3-up lead in the match.
"Towards the end of the round, my long-iron play was really good. On 11, 12 13, they are lengthy holes hitting a long iron. To get out of there even par is pretty good. #12 is one of the toughest holes on the course. #4 is another lengthy hole, I hit a 4-iron pretty close and winning that hole," added Shetler, who gained his second 3-up lead by winning holes #11 and #12.
Shetler hopes to play 36 holes on Friday, July 31. A win over Kingsley in the morning round would place the Spartan in an afternoon semifinal. Winners of the two semifinal matches meet Saturday, August 1, for the championship in a head-to-head 36-hole match.