La Jolla, Calif.----- For San Jose State University freshman Caleb Shelter, he was on both ends of the spectrum on his final day of playing for the 109th California Amateur Championship at the Torrey Pines South golf course.
Shetler advanced to the semifinal round of the six-day championship with a convincing 5&4 victory over University of San Diego junior Harrison Kingsley of Murrieta, Calif., in a morning quarterfinal. The Spartan first-year player from Saratoga, Calif., and Valley Christian High took the lead on the first hole with a birdie-3 to Kingsley's par and led the entire contest in the match-play format.
Shetler built a commanding 4-up lead winning holes #6, #7 and #8 consecutively with birdies on #6 and #7 and a par on #8. Kingsley's only dent into the lead was at #12 with his par. The match ended on the 14th hole with Shetler's back-to-back pars to bogeys by Kingsley.
Advancing to an afternoon semifinal match, Shetler would face Pepperdine junior Joey Vrzich from hometown La Jolla, a 5&3 quarterfinal round winner over Alexander Chin of Pleasanton.
Vrzich struck first winning the opening hole with a par to a Shetler's bogey. It was the first time in four match-play matches Shetler trailed after the first hole. The first-year Spartan won two holes of the 15 played winning hole #4 with a par to even the match and #11 with another par to close a deficit to 1-down.
Bogeys on #12 and #14 by Shetler and Vrzich's birdie on the par-5 #13 gave the Pepperdine star a 4-up lead with four holes to go. The match ended after the 15th hole with each player making a par giving Vrzich a 4&3 triumph.
In a starting field of 156 players on Monday, July 27, Shetler was bidding to become the first Spartan since Ed Cuff in 1998 to win a California Amateur Championship.
Vrzich will face Charlie Reiter of Palm Desert, Calif., for the 109th California Amateur championship in a 36-hole match play format on Saturday, August 1.