• COURSE: Scholl Canyon, 18 hole Par-60
• CHECK-IN TIME: 12:35 Sunday, April 30
• FIELD WATCH: Former 2-time champion Chris Moawad returns to Scholl after missing the Masters last year for the first time in his career. Gerry Vaughan makes his first appearance in 4 years and just his 2nd in the last 6 years. Former back-to-back champion John Mann is scheduled to make his first start of the season. Armen Grigorian will miss the Masters for the 4th straight year after winning his 2nd title back in 2013. Handicaps: Defending champion Clint Crump (28), 2-time winner Walter Vargas (20), 2-time winner and current Match Play champion Chris Moawad (16), 2-time winner John Mann (28), 2007 champion and recent Devil Ball winner Doug Vargas (22), Charly Classic winner Gerry Vaughan (30), Martin Witt (35), P-Jay Fidler (30), Tim Joe (30), Patrick Bird (35).
• COURSE RECORD: 69, Doug Vargas (2007) Best rounds: Front-9: 33, Chris Moawad (2008) Back-9: 33, Walter Vargas (2016)
• LAST YEAR: Clint Crump matched his 8-year old career best score at Scholl and emerged the winner from an unprecedented 3-man sudden death playoff with Walter Vargas and Ed Quiroz to capture his first Masters and 2nd major.
• STORYLINES: 2017 Match Play champion Chris Moawad has pulled the “double” (2 majors in a season) twice. First in 2006, then in 2008 in which he pulled the Match Play-Masters double. Walter Vargas, John Mann, and Chris Moawad are each hoping to become the first 3-time Masters champion. For the 2nd straight year a number of withdrawals made this year’s Qualifier unnecessary, providing a welcome free pass to the Masters for Bird, Witt, T. Joe, and Fidler (Vaughan earned his spot from Devil Ball).
• APPROACH SHOTS: Sunday’s 1pm start is not the latest in Tour history. In 2010, the Manhattan Beach Championship tee’d off at 1:45. Last year Walter Vargas broke a nearly 10-year Masters back-9 record after carding a 33. Ed Quiroz, who won’t be playing this year, also broke a 9-year record last year with 10 pars. Gerry Vaughan, making a rare Master appearance, is the record-holder for bogeys (12). This year marks the 10-year anniversary of Doug Vargas’s record-setting, winning performance when he carded a 69. The record remains today and it stands as Vargas’s only Masters victory.
PAST CHAMPIONS:
2016, Clint Crump
2015, Walter Vargas
2014, Travois Gordón
2013, Armen Grigorian
2012, John Mann
2011, John Mann
2010, Walter Vargas
2009, Eric Stolz
2008, Chris Moawad
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000002007, Doug Vargas
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000002006, Chris Moawad
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000002005, Armen Grigorian
0